Pete Rugolo

Pete Rugolo was one of the most prolific arrangers for Stan Kenton's 1945-1949 orchestras, following through on the leader's swashbuckling example to help shape the band's exciting, blasting style. Brought to the U.S. at age five, Rugolo grew up in Santa Rosa, California, and became a student of Darius Milhaud at Mills College in Oakland. After a stint with the Army, he submitted an arrangement to Kenton and then settled in with the band, turning out a series of "Artistry in..." compositions ("Bass," "Percussion," "Bolero," "Boogie"), as well as some of the earliest, most startling pieces for the Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra. However, Rugolo soon gravitated toward pop, landing a position as music director of Capitol Records in 1949, where he cranked out arrangements -- some of which bordered on easy listening treacle -- for June Christy, Nat King ColeHarry Belafonte (in...

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