STETSON UNIVERSITY
SAMMY NESTICO
Celebrating his 90th birthday this month, California-based composer and
arranger Sammy Nestico is still writing music. He has two albums in the
works and this month will be given tributes around the world for his
abilities and gifts to the jazz music world.
It is not a stretch to describe Nestico as a living legend of music. He has
composed or arranged more than 630 pieces, spent 14 years as composer/arranger for the Count Basie Orchestra, directed the White
House orchestra under two U.S. Presidents, done 63 albums for Capitol
Records, and written, arranged, or conducted the scores for more than
50 television shows. He has also released six CDs of his own music and
written two books: an autobiography and a textbook on orchestrating.
His many collaborators read like a who's who of big band, jazz, and pop
music: Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Steve Allen, Stan
Freberg, and Johnny Mercer, to name a few. Producer Quincy Jones
sends lavish presents to Nestico on every birthday (this year, it was a
boxed set of Sinatra's Las Vegas recordings, many of which featured
Nestico's arrangements).
STETSON JAZZ
A Tribute to Sammy Nestico
Don Waldrop, director
Wednesday, February 26, 2014 | 7:30 p.m.
Stetson Room, Carlton Union Building
STETSON
UNIVERSITY
School of Music
421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8399 | DeLand, FL 32723
stetson.edu/music I concert line 386-822-8947
