Irwin Elliott Zucker (August 6, 1927 – August 18, 2001) was an American television and film composer, conductor, music arranger,

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon ...

, and co-founder of the New American Orchestra, later renamed the American Jazz Philharmonic.

Life and career

Elliott was born Irwin Elliott Zucker in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

. He was of Romanian Jewish descent. Elliott graduated from the

Hartt School of Music The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford located in West Hartford, Connecticut, United States, that offers degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. Founded in 1920 by Julius Hartt and ...

and worked as a jazz pianist in New York and Paris in the 1950s. He continued his post-graduate studies in composition with Arnold Franchetti, Isadore Freed,

Bohuslav Martinů Bohuslav Jan Martinů (; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He be ...

, and Lukas Foss, but it was

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

who brought Elliott to California to become an arranger for her

television show A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...

. Elliott continued his run in television as music director for

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

' long-running series and later produced and conducted the NBC television special ''Live From Studio 8H: 100 Years of America's Popular Music''. He also wrote themes for television shows '' Night Court'', and co-wrote the themes to ''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was cre ...

'' and ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by ...

'' with Allyn Ferguson. He is listed in New Grove's Dictionary of American Music and was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music. Elliott was co-founder and music director of the American Jazz Philharmonic (formerly the New American Orchestra) and creator of the Henry Mancini Institute. The original name of the Orchestra was "The Big O" and was the largest

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

orchestra of its kind featuring over 92 musicians. Elliott blended the classical European style orchestra with modern American jazz style. His professional repertoire was diverse, highlighted by stints as music director for the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...

and the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

. In addition, he holds the distinction of serving as

music director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the di ...

of the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s for 30 consecutive years. He had an accomplished career in film, scoring numerous hit movies, including '' Sibling Rivalry'', ''

The Jerk ''The Jerk'' is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias (from a story by Steve Martin and Carl Gottlieb). This was Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The f ...

'', '' Oh God!'', and '' Where's Poppa?''. He also produced the ''

Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...

'' soundtrack album with the New American Orchestra.

Death

Elliott served as music director of the Henry Mancini Institute until his death from a

brain tumor A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seco ...

on August 18, 2001.

Selected discography

* ''Are You Lonesome Tonight?...Wonderful Melodies of the Sixties'' (Kapp, 1961) * ''The Orchestra'' (with Allyn Ferguson) (FNAM, 1979)

Selected filmography

* '' The Happiest Millionaire'' (1967) * '' The Comic'' (1969) * '' Where's Poppa?'' (1970) * ''

T.R. Baskin ''T.R. Baskin'' (known as ''A Date with a Lonely Girl'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1971 American drama film directed by Herbert Ross. It stars Candice Bergen, Peter Boyle, Marcia Rodd and James Caan. The screenplay by Peter Hyams focuses on a ...

'' (1971) * ''

Support Your Local Gunfighter ''Support Your Local Gunfighter'' is a 1971 American comic Western film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring James Garner and Suzanne Pleshette. The screenplay was written by James Edward Grant. The picture shares many cast and crew members ...

'' (1971) * '' Get to Know Your Rabbit'' (1972) * '' Oh, God!'' (1977) * ''

Just You and Me, Kid ''Just You and Me, Kid'' is a 1979 American comedy film starring George Burns, Brooke Shields, Lorraine Gary, Ray Bolger, Leon Ames, Carl Ballantine, Keye Luke and Burl Ives. It was directed by Leonard B. Stern and was released in July 1979 by ...

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1979) * '' Sibling Rivalry'' (1990)

Television

* '' McHale's Navy'' (29 episodes, 1965–1966) * ''

Pistols 'n' Petticoats ''Pistols 'n' Petticoats'' is an American Western sitcom starring Ann Sheridan that ran on CBS during the 1966-1967 television season. It was produced by Kayro/Universal Television for CBS Productions and ran from September 17, 1966 to March 11 ...

'' (9 episodes, 1966–1967) * '' The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' (7 episodes, 1971–1974) * '' The Rookies'' (14 episodes, 1972–1975) * '' Really Raquel'' (1974) * ''

'' (1974-1982) (with Allyn Ferguson) * ''

'' (1976-1981) (with Allyn Ferguson) * '' Night Court'' (1984-1992)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Jack 1927 births 2001 deaths American male conductors (music) American film score composers American male film score composers American music arrangers University of Hartford Hartt School alumni Songwriters from Connecticut American television composers American television producers Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Musicians from Hartford, Connecticut Writers from Hartford, Connecticut Pupils of Lukas Foss Songwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American composers Classical musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians American male songwriters Deaths from brain cancer in the United States