Nash, Ted (31 October 1922-12th May 2011)

Multi-reed musician from Somerville, Massachusetts, who began playing professionally at the age of 17. He was the brother of trombonist Dick Nash and the uncle of his namesake who is a multi-reed musician in his own right.

From 1941 to 1946, he was a member of Les Brown’s orchestra, and one of their most famous recordings was the #1 “Sentimental Journey” with Doris Day on lead vocals.

By 1946, he was in the studio with his own quintet, this time with Marie Bryant as the vocalist, recording “I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams”. A pared-down Ted Nash Quartette also recorded an album in 1946, named after their leader, who multi-tasked on alto and tenor sax. Some of this material also appeared on Tenor Sax Solos, Vols. 2 & 3. Around this time, he was also recording with Jimmy Jones’ outfit, and these tracks can be heard on The Chronological Jimmy Jones 1946-1947. The turn of the decade found him accompanying Frankie Laine on the album, Frankie Laine Sings His All Time Favorites.

He and his brother Dick recorded as The Brothers Nash from 1954 to 1956 on the LP Juntos, on which he is credited with alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet, flute, piccolo, soprano sax, and tenor sax. Perhaps the reason for the two-year recording date was that Ted was still busy working with other artists on albums such as Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book, Frank Sinatra’s Songs for Swingin’ Lovers, and the soundtrack of Around the World in Eighty Days, all released in 1956. In 1957, he teamed up with Elmer Bernstein and Chico Hamilton on Sweet Smell of Success and enjoyed his own success on Star Eyes – The Artistry of Ted Nash.

One of his most famous recordings is the theme from the TV series Peter Gunn, composed by Henry Mancini, with whom he would collaborate quite a bit. The Music from Peter Gunn and More Music from Peter Gunn were both released in 1959. In 1959 and 1960, he was in the studio with Elmer Bernstein and Andre Previn recording Staccato/Paris Swings. He spent much of the ’60s performing with Henry Mancini on albums such as The Blues and the Beat, The Mancini Touch, Combo!, and the following soundtrack albums: The Days of Wine and Roses, Hatari!, Charade, Arabesque, and Gunn – Number One! Music from the Film Score.

He did a complete 180 in 1967, performing with The Monkees on Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. and recording Lumpy Gravy with Frank Zappa. In 1969, he appeared on Lalo Schifrin’s soundtrack of Che!. More soundtrack work followed in 1977 in the form of the TV mini-series, Washington: Behind Closed Doors. He then appeared with Don Ellis Live in Montreux in 1978.

One of his last recordings appears to be Frank Sinatra’s 1979 boxed set, Trilogy, although there are myriad opportunities to hear him on CDs such as The Complete Anita O’Day Verve/Clef Sessions, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book, and John Williams’ Indiana Jones: The Complete Soundtracks Collection.

His legacy also lives on in sheet-music form: Many a budding saxophonist has cut his teeth on Ted Nash’s In High Harmonics, two dozen pages of music instruction featuring songs ranging from “All or Nothing at All” to “Leap Frog”, which he recorded in 1946.

He retired in the 1980s, residing in Carmel, California, and passed away in 2011 when he was 88 years old.

Sources:

Nash, Ted (31 October 1922-12th May 2011)

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