Product Description
Sammy Nestico (1924-2021) was an American composer and arranger, best known for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra. At the age of 13, he joined a beginner orchestra on trombone, writing his first arrangement a few years' later. During World War II, he joined the United States Army and served for five years. After earning his degree, Nestico then returned to the military, where he arranged music for the United States Air Force Band (19501963), as well as leading the Glenn Miller Army Air Corps dance band. After retiring from the military, Nestico became a freelance arranger, working for Count Basie from 1967; he continued to provide arrangements for Basie until 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy Awards. The Airmen of Note, the premier jazz ensemble of the USAF, sponsor an annual competition, the "Sammy Nestico Award" for composers and arrangers of big band music, named in his honor. This beautiful melody, 'Katy' was originally written in 1977 but later revised in 1983 in response to the death of Basie's wife, Catherine, a dancer and an advocate for civil rights and for children with disabilities; it features a prominent alto sax solo, huge band climax and a whispered ending.
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