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Milt Bernhart
Milt Bernhart, 1947 or 1948 (William P. Gottlieb).jpg
Background information
Born(1926-05-25)May 25, 1926
Valparaiso, Indiana, U.S.
DiedJanuary 22, 2004(2004-01-22) (aged 77)
Glendale, California, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsTrombone
Associated actsStan Kenton, Frank Sinatra

Milt Bernhart (May 25, 1926 – January 22, 2004) was a West Coast jazz trombonist who worked with Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, and others. He supplied the solo in the middle of Sinatra's 1956 recording of I've Got You Under My Skin conducted by Nelson Riddle.[1]

Biography[edit]

Bernhart (occasionally spelled Bernhardt) began on tuba, but switched to trombone in high school. At 16 he worked in Boyd Raeburn's band and later had some "gigs" with Teddy Powell. After time in the United States Army he worked, off and on, with Stan Kenton for the next ten years. He is perhaps most associated with Kenton, but in 1955 he had his first album as a leader. In 1986 he was elected President of the Big Band Academy of America.[2]

Although known as "mild-mannered" or humorous, his brief period with Benny Goodman was one area that brought out his ire. He indicated working with Goodman was "the bottom", except for basic training in the Army, of his first 23 years of life. He called Goodman a "bore" and claimed he did nothing about the treatment Wardell Gray faced at a segregated club in Las Vegas. He even alleges that he quit because Goodman publicly humiliated Gray in front of an audience.[3]

Bernhart died of congestive heart failure in Glendale, California at the age of 77[4] at the Adventist Health Glendale.

Discography[edit]

As leader[edit]

  • Modern Brass (RCA Victor, 1955)
  • The Sound of Bernhart (Decca, 1958)

As sideman[edit]

With Maynard Ferguson

With Stan Kenton

With Henri Rene

  • RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt (RCA, 1953)
  • That Bad Eartha (EP) (RCA, 1954)
  • Down to Eartha (RCA, 1955)
  • That Bad Eartha (LP) (RCA, 1956)
  • Thursday's Child (RCA, 1957)

With Shorty Rogers

  • Shorty Rogers and His Giants (RCA Victor, 1953)
  • Collaboration (RCA Victor, 1955)
  • The Big Shorty Rogers Express (RCA Victor, 1956)
  • Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers (RCA Victor, 1957)
  • Jazz Waltz (Reprise, 1962)

With Pete Rugolo

  • Introducing Pete Rugolo (Columbia, 1954)
  • Adventures in Rhythm (Columbia, 1954)
  • Rugolomania (Columbia, 1955)
  • New Sounds by Pete Rugolo (Harmony, 1957)
  • Music for Hi-Fi Bugs (EmArcy, 1956)
  • Out on a Limb (EmArcy, 1957)
  • An Adventure in Sound: Brass in Hi-Fi (Mercury, 1957)
  • Percussion at Work (EmArcy, 1958)
  • Rugolo Plays Kenton (EmArcy, 1958)
  • The Music from Richard Diamond (EmArcy, 1959)
  • Behind Brigitte Bardot (Warner Bros., 1960)
  • 10 Trombones Like 2 Pianos (Mercury, 1960)
  • The Original Music of Thriller (Mercury, 1961)

With Howard Rumsey

  • Sunday Jazz a La Lighthouse Vol. 1 (Contemporary, 1953)
  • Sunday Jazz a La Lighthouse Vol. 2 (Contemporary, 1953)
  • Jazz Rolls Royce (Lighthouse, 1958)

With Lalo Schifrin

  • The Cincinnati Kid (MGM, 1965)
  • More Mission: Impossible (Paramount, 1968)
  • Mannix (Paramount, 1968)
  • Bullitt (Warner Bros., 1968)
  • Rock Requiem (Verve, 1971)

With others

  • Van Alexander, The Home of Happy Feet (Capitol, 1959)
  • Chet Baker and Bud Shank, Theme Music from "The James Dean Story" (World Pacific, 1957)
  • Elmer Bernstein, The Man with the Golden Arm (Decca, 1956)
  • Harry Betts, The Jazz Soul of Doctor Kildare (Choreo, 1962)
  • Buddy Bregman, Swinging Kicks (Verve, 1957)
  • Les Brown, Les Brown's in Town (Decca, 1965)
  • Frank Capp, Percussion in a Tribute to Glenn Miller (Kimberly, 1963)
  • June Christy, June Christy Recalls Those Kenton Days (Capitol, 1959)
  • Rosemary Clooney, Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie! (RCA Victor, 1960)
  • Pete Candoli, Blues, When Your Lover Has Gone (Somerset/Stereo-Fidelity, 1961)
  • Bing Crosby, Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings (Verve, 1956)
  • Bobby Darin, From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie (Capitol, 1964)
  • Bobby Darin, Venice Blue (Capitol, 1965)
  • Sammy Davis Jr., It's All Over but the Swingin' (Decca, 1957)
  • Buddy DeFranco, Cross Country Suite (Dot, 1958)
  • Dean Elliott, College Confidential (Chancellor, 1960)
  • The Four Freshmen, Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones (Capitol, 1955)
  • Gilbert & Sullivan, The Coolest Mikado (Andex, 1961)
  • Astrud Gilberto, The Astrud Gilberto Album (Verve, 1965)
  • Astrud Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto (Verve, 1987)
  • Glen Gray, Solo Spotlight (Capitol, 1960)
  • Glen Gray, Please, Mr. Gray... (Capitol, 1961)
  • Carolyn Hester, Carolyn Hester (RCA, 1973)
  • Al Hirt, Horn a-Plenty (RCA Victor, 1962)
  • Jonah Jones/Glen Gray, Jonah Jones Quartet/Glen Gray Casa Loma Orchestra (Capitol, 1962)
  • Bob Keene, Bob Keene & His Orchestra (GNP, 1954)
  • Bob Keene, Solo for Seven (Andex, 1958)
  • Carol Lawrence, This Heart of Mine (Choreo, 1962)
  • Peggy Lee, In the Name of Love (Capitol, 1964)
  • Nellie Lutcher with Russell Garcia, Our New Nellie (Liberty, 1956)
  • Junior Mance, Get Ready, Set, Jump!!! (Capitol, 1964)
  • Junior Mance, Straight Ahead! (Capitol, 1965)
  • Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (RCA Victor, 1959)
  • Johnny Mandel, I Want to Live (United Artists, 1958)
  • Skip Martin, 8 Brass, 5 Sax, 4 Rhythm (MGM, 1959)
  • Skip Martin, Scheherajazz (Pye, 1959)
  • Billy May, Bill's Bag (Capitol, 1963)
  • Billy May, Today! (Capitol, 1966)
  • Lyle Murphy, New Orbits in Sound (GNP, 1958)
  • Vido Musso, The Swingin'st (Modern, 1956)
  • Anita O'Day, Anita (Verve, 1956)
  • Ruth Olay, Olay! The New Sound of Ruth Olay (Mercury, 1959)
  • Perez Prado, Havana, 3 A.M. (RCA/BMG 1990)
  • Frankie Randall, Sings & Swings (RCA Victor, 1965)
  • Buddy Rich, The Swinging Buddy Rich (Norgran, 1954)
  • Johnny Richards, Something Else by Johnny Richards (Bethlehem, 1956)
  • Tony Scott/Milt Bernhart, Untitled (RCA Victor, 1985)
  • Tak Shindo, Brass and Bamboo (Capitol, 1960)
  • Frank Sinatra, Forever Frank (Capitol, 1966)
  • The Three Sounds, Three Moods (Limelight, 1965)
  • Bobby Troup, Bobby Troup and His Stars of Jazz (RCA Victor, 1959)
  • Walter Wanderley, The Return of the Original (Ancora, 1972)
  • Stanley Wilson, The Music from M Squad (RCA Victor, 1959)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Williams, Richard (3 February 2004). "Trombonist who got under Frank Sinatra's skin". The Guardian.
  2. ^ Jenkins, Todd S. "West Coast trombonist and big-band enthusiast". Jazzhouse. Retrieved 3 October 2015. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. ^ "Milt Bernhart recalls a troubled tour with Benny Goodman". Jazz Professional. 25 January 1950.
  4. ^ Oliver, Myrna (27 January 2004). "Milt Bernhart, 77; Trombonist's Solo With Sinatra Drew Praise". Los Angeles Times.

External links[edit]

  • Milt Bernhart at AllMusic
  • Milt Bernhart discography at Discogs
  • Milt Bernhart at IMDb