Nathaniel Pierce Blish Jr., known professionally as Nat Pierce (July 16, 1925 – June 10, 1992) was an American

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist and prolific composer and arranger, perhaps best known for being pianist and arranger for the

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American 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. Its roo ...

band from 1951 to 1955. Pieces by Pierce were predominantly created for use in

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

Biography

Pierce was born in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 81, ...

. United States. Following schooling at the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

and working as an amateur musician in the

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

area, Pierce then led his own band which featured

Charlie Mariano Carmine Ugo Mariano (November 12, 1923 – June 16, 2009) was an American jazz saxophone, saxophonist who focused on the alto saxophone, alto and soprano saxophone. He occasionally performed and recorded on flute and nadaswaram as well. Biogra ...

from 1949 to 1951. After working with

from 1951 to 1966 as chief arranger and assistant road manager, Pierce took residence in New York City and freelanced with musicians such as

Pee Wee Russell Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell (March 27, 1906 – February 15, 1969) was an American jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but he eventually focused solely on clarinet. With a highly individualistic and sp ...

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

Emmett Berry Emmett Berry (July 23, 1915 – June 22, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter. Berry was born in Macon, Georgia, United States. He began to study classical trumpet in Georgia, but by 18 had switched to jazz and moved to New York City. He bec ...

and

Ruby Braff Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong". Bra ...

. From 1957 to 1959, Pierce led a band off and on which featured

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record " Confessin' that I Love You" ...

, Gus Johnson and

Paul Quinichette Paul Quinichette (May 17, 1916 – May 25, 1983) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He was known as the "Vice President" or "Vice Prez" for his emulation of the breathy style of Lester Young, whose nickname was "The President", or simply "P ...

. He recorded with a number of other well-known musicians as well, including

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

and Pee Wee Russell. Pierce was noted for his ability to play piano in the Basie style and appeared on many releases by Basie sidemen. Pierce also arranged the music for ''

The Sound of Jazz "The Sound of Jazz" is a 1957 edition of the CBS television series '' The Seven Lively Arts'' and was one of the first major programs featuring jazz to air on American network television. Overview The one-hour program aired on Sunday, Decembe ...

'', a 1954

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

television special hosted by John Crosby. Together with

Frank Capp Francis Cappuccio (August 20, 1931 – September 12, 2017), known professionally as Frank Capp, was an American jazz drummer. Capp also played on numerous rock and roll sessions and is considered to be a member of the Wrecking Crew. Biography ...

he founded the '' Capp/Pierce Juggernaut'' Band in 1975, which performed in to the 1990s. Pierce died of complications from an abdominal infection in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Discography

As leader

As Nat Pierce and His Orchestra *''Kansas City Memories'' (Coral, 1957) *''The Nat Pierce Orchestra – Big Band At The Savoy'' (RCA, 1958) With

*Frank Capp & Nat Pierce: ''Juggernaut'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the ...

, 1976) *The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut: ''Live at the Century Plaza'' with Joe Williams (Concord Jazz, 1978) * The Frank Capp-Nat Pierce Orchestra: ''Juggernaut Strikes Again!'' with

Ernie Andrews Ernest Mitchell Andrews Jr. (December 25, 1927 – February 21, 2022) was an American jazz, blues, and pop singer. Life and career Andrews was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Los Angeles, and is said to have been discovered b ...

(Concord Jazz, 1982) *The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut: ''Live at the Alley Cat'' with

Ernestine Anderson Ernestine Anderson (November 11, 1928 – March 10, 2016) was an American jazz and blues singer. In a career spanning more than six decades, she recorded over 30 albums. She was nominated four times for a Grammy Award. She sang at Carnegie Hall, ...

(Concord Jazz, 1987)

As sideman

With

Louis Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer ...

*''

Drummer's Holiday ''Drummer's Holiday'' is an album by American jazz drummer Louie Bellson featuring performances recorded in 1957 for the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1958) * '' The Louis Bellson Explosion'' (Pablo, 1975) With

*'' The Ruby Braff Octet with Pee Wee Russell & Bobby Henderson at Newport'' (Verve, 1957) With

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

*'' 'Live and Well in Japan!'' (Pablo Live, 1978) With

Al Cohn Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist ...

*'' The Natural Seven'' (RCA Victor, 1955) With

Freddie Green Frederick William Green (March 31, 1911 – March 1, 1987) was an American swing jazz guitarist who played rhythm guitar with the Count Basie Orchestra for almost fifty years. Early life and education Green was born in Charleston, South ...

*''

Mr. Rhythm ''Mr. Rhythm'' is the sole album led by jazz guitarist Freddie Green. The album was recorded in late 1955 for RCA Victor.Lafargue, P.Mr. Rhythm reissue liner notes accessed December 7, 2015 Reception The Allmusic review by Ronnie D. Lankford, J ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1955) With

*'' The Saxophone Section'' (World Wide, 1958) *''

Jazz Reunion ''Jazz Reunion'' is an album by saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and clarinetist Pee Wee Russell which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Candid label.Pee Wee Russell Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell (March 27, 1906 – February 15, 1969) was an American jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but he eventually focused solely on clarinet. With a highly individualistic and sp ...

With

Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on sop ...

*''

Triple Play In baseball or softball, a triple play (denoted as TP in baseball statistics) is the act of making three out (baseball), outs during the same play. There have only been 739 triple plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1876, an average of ju ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1967) With

Joe Newman Joe, Joey or Joseph Newman may refer to: Musicians *Joe Newman (trumpeter) (1922–1992), American jazz musician *Joey Newman (born 1976), American film composer, orchestrator, arranger and conductor *Joe Newman (born 1991), English lead singer wit ...

*'' All I Wanna Do Is Swing'' (RCA Victor, 1955) *'' Salute to Satch'' (RCA Victor, 1956) *''

Counting Five in Sweden ''Counting Five in Sweden'' is a live album by trumpeter Joe Newman with Count Basie's All Stars recorded in Sweden in 1958 for the Swedish Metronome label and also released in the US on World Pacific.Specs Powell Gordon "Specs" Powell (June 5, 1922 – September 15, 2007) was an American jazz drummer who began performing in the swing era. Career Specs was the first black staff musician hired by CBS in 1943. Born in New York City, he started on pi ...

*''

Movin' In ''Movin' In'' is a 2010 comedy film. Plot ''Movin' In'' is a comedy about a young man from Switzerland who travels to Los Angeles to escape his dead-end life and to reconnect with a female pen pal with whom he has lost touch. Everything falls a ...

'' (Roulette, 1957) With

*''

For Basie ''For Basie'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Paul Quinichette featuring tracks recorded in 1957 and released on the Prestige label. Reception Allmusic awarded the album 4½ stars and reviewer Scott Yanow stated, "the sextet jams on f ...

'' (Prestige, 1957) *''

Basie Reunion ''Basie Reunion'' is an album by Count Basie Orchestra members led by jazz saxophonist Paul Quinichette featuring tracks recorded in 1958 and released on the Prestige label. The first two tracks are correctly identified on the CD reissue; the or ...

'' (Prestige, 1958) *''

Like Basie! ''Like Basie!'', (also released as ''Like Who?'' and ''Paul Quinichette''), is an album by American jazz saxophonist Paul Quinichette featuring tracks recorded in 1959 and released on the United Artists label.Buddy Tate George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All Ab ...

*''

Unbroken Unbroken may refer to: Books and film * ''Unbroken'' (book), a 2010 nonfiction book by Laura Hillenbrand about World War II hero Louis Zamperini * ''Unbroken'' (film), a 2014 film based on the Hillenbrand book * '' Unbroken: Path to Redemption' ...

'' (MPS, 1970) With

Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed "Cleanhead" after an incident in which his hair was ...

*''

Clean Head's Back in Town ''Clean Head's Back in Town'', subtitled ''Eddie Vinson Sings'', is an album by the American saxophonist and vocalist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. Recorded in 1957, it was released by Bethlehem Records.Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

*''

The Count! ''The Count!'' is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie recorded in 1952 and released on the Clef label in 1955.955 Year 955 ( CMLV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * August 10 – Battle of Lechfeld: King Otto I ("the Great") defeats the Hungarians (also known as Magyars) near Augsburg (Germa ...

*'' Dance Session Album #2'' (Clef, 1954) With

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombone, valve trombonist, Jazz piano, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public ...

*'' Kansas City Revisited'' (United Artists, 1958) With

*''

Woody Herman–1963 ''Woody Herman–1963'' is a 1963 studio album by Woody Herman and his big band. The album peaked at 136 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Reception Ken Dryden reviewed the album for Allmusic and wrote that "While this is hardly "the Swingin'est Big ...

'' (Philips, 1963) With

*''

The Birth of a Band! ''The Birth of a Band!'' is an album by Quincy Jones that was released by Mercury with performances by Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Harry Edison, and Phil Woods.

'' (Mercury, 1959)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Nat Progressive big band musicians American big band bandleaders Big band pianists Bebop pianists Swing pianists American jazz pianists American jazz bandleaders American male jazz pianists 1925 births 1992 deaths Musicians from Somerville, Massachusetts 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Massachusetts 20th-century American male musicians The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut members