Frank Comstock is a name today that has long been forgotten. Many of those who are familiar with Comstock probably associate him with the Hi-Lo's vocal group, for whom he arranged and conducted their first eight albums in the 1950s. Or they know him as the composer of the theme for the Rocky and His Friends TV cartoon series in the 1960s. But Comstock was a much bigger deal.
He arranged for Les Brown's cool, contrapuntal band from 1943 to 1955 and is widely considered to be a forefather—with Shorty Rogers and Gerry Mulligan—of the West Coast studio sound. Comstock also played a major role in film. He arranged, orchestrated and conducted scores for Some Like It Hot, The Fortune Cookie, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Valley of the Dolls, Finian's Rainbow and Hello Dolly, among others. He also arranged for TV variety shows and composed themes to more than 10 TV dramas and sitcoms. In the Hollywood recording studios of the 1950s, Comstock and his touch were admired by many of his peers.
Two session musicians who took on his music were Tony Rizzi and Ted Nash. I posted about Rizzi's album, Plays the Music of Frank Comstock, in 2020 here. Nash's album, Plays Frank Comstock, was recorded within days of Rizzi's in July 1954, in the same studio and for the same label—Starlite.
Ted Nash was a prolific studio jazz musician who played saxophone, flute and clarinet. His brother was trombonist Dick Nash, also an in-demand session player. The personnel on both albums was identical: Ted Nash (ts,as,fl,pic), Dick Nash (tb), Tony Rizzi (g), Morty Corb (b), Alvin Stoller (d) and Frank Comstock (arr, conductor).
On the Nash album, Comstock's music and arrangements are gorgeous. And the playing by Ted Nash alone and in tandem with his brother is extraordinary, not to mention Rizzi peeking through on guitar in the gaps. The music is nearly 70 years old and yet sounds as fresh and novel as the day it was recorded. One can only imagine what the busy recording scene must have been like in Los Angeles in the mid-1950s.
Light traffic on new highways, spacious homes in the San Fernando Valley, kids in the pool, strip malls and large supermarkets just opening up, television and color movies evolving rapidly, weekends at the beach, and musicians recording jazz and pop day and night.
The music on this album will give you a sense of the bliss felt in L.A. at a time when the country for many was shimmering with economic prosperity and possibility. After years spent working on the road in big bands, these musicians now could earn a living on their own, start a family and settle down. The musicians on the Comstock recordings were just five of dozens of talented artists who, all of a sudden, found they had it made.
JazzWax clips: Here's Teddy Bear. Dig Ted Nash's fluid solo...
And here's Nightfall...
Bonus: Another great album by Ted Nash and Dick Nash is The Brothers Nash, recorded for Liberty in 1955 and 1956. It featured Ted Nash (as, ts, ss, bs, fl, alto fl, piccolo, cl, bass cl), Dick Nash (tb), Jimmy Rowles (p), Tony Rizzi (g), Harry Babasin (b) and Roy Harte (d).
Here's Side 1...
And here's Side 2...
He arranged for Les Brown's cool, contrapuntal band from 1943 to 1955 and is widely considered to be a forefather—with Shorty Rogers and Gerry Mulligan—of the West Coast studio sound. Comstock also played a major role in film. He arranged, orchestrated and conducted scores for Some Like It Hot, The Fortune Cookie, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Valley of the Dolls, Finian's Rainbow and Hello Dolly, among others. He also arranged for TV variety shows and composed themes to more than 10 TV dramas and sitcoms. In the Hollywood recording studios of the 1950s, Comstock and his touch were admired by many of his peers.
Two session musicians who took on his music were Tony Rizzi and Ted Nash. I posted about Rizzi's album, Plays the Music of Frank Comstock, in 2020 here. Nash's album, Plays Frank Comstock, was recorded within days of Rizzi's in July 1954, in the same studio and for the same label—Starlite.
Ted Nash was a prolific studio jazz musician who played saxophone, flute and clarinet. His brother was trombonist Dick Nash, also an in-demand session player. The personnel on both albums was identical: Ted Nash (ts,as,fl,pic), Dick Nash (tb), Tony Rizzi (g), Morty Corb (b), Alvin Stoller (d) and Frank Comstock (arr, conductor).
On the Nash album, Comstock's music and arrangements are gorgeous. And the playing by Ted Nash alone and in tandem with his brother is extraordinary, not to mention Rizzi peeking through on guitar in the gaps. The music is nearly 70 years old and yet sounds as fresh and novel as the day it was recorded. One can only imagine what the busy recording scene must have been like in Los Angeles in the mid-1950s.
Light traffic on new highways, spacious homes in the San Fernando Valley, kids in the pool, strip malls and large supermarkets just opening up, television and color movies evolving rapidly, weekends at the beach, and musicians recording jazz and pop day and night.
The music on this album will give you a sense of the bliss felt in L.A. at a time when the country for many was shimmering with economic prosperity and possibility. After years spent working on the road in big bands, these musicians now could earn a living on their own, start a family and settle down. The musicians on the Comstock recordings were just five of dozens of talented artists who, all of a sudden, found they had it made.
JazzWax clips: Here's Teddy Bear. Dig Ted Nash's fluid solo...
And here's Nightfall...
Bonus: Another great album by Ted Nash and Dick Nash is The Brothers Nash, recorded for Liberty in 1955 and 1956. It featured Ted Nash (as, ts, ss, bs, fl, alto fl, piccolo, cl, bass cl), Dick Nash (tb), Jimmy Rowles (p), Tony Rizzi (g), Harry Babasin (b) and Roy Harte (d).
Here's Side 1...
And here's Side 2...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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