Stanley Black
b. 14 June 1913, London, England. At the age of seven he began learning the piano and later studied at the Mathay School of Music. His first composition, when he was aged 12, was broadcast by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In 1929 he won an arranging contest sponsored by the then jazz weekly, Melody Maker, and became known as a promising jazz pianist, recording with visiting Americans, Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong and Benny Carter, plus the British bands of Lew Stone and Harry Roy. In 1938, he went to South America with Roy's orchestra, and became fascinated with Latin-American music, a subject on which he became an expert. He started recording for Decca in 1944, and in the same year became conductor of the BBC Dance Orchestra, which lasted until 1952. Black took part in many vintage radio shows including HI GANG and MUCH BINDING IN THE MARSH. He also composed signature tunes for several radio programmes, including the legendary GOON SHOW. He currently broadcasts with ensembles ranging from full symphony orchestras and the BBC Dance Orchestra, to a quartet or sextet in his own programmes such as BLACK MAGIC and THE MUSICAL WORLD OF STANLEY BLACK. Black has worked on over a hundred films either as score composer or musical director and in many cases as both. His credits include, IT ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAY (1948), THE LONG AND THE SHORT AND THE TALL (1961), the Cliff Richard musicals THE YOUNG ONES (1961) and SUMMER HOLIDAY (1962), and all of the late Mario Zampi's crazy comedies such as LAUGHTER IN PARADISE (1951) , THE NAKED TRUTH (1957) and TOO MANY CROOKS (1958). His albums have sold in huge numbers, not only in the UK, but also in the USA, New Zealand and Japan. His many awards include a Life Fellowship of the International Institute of Arts and Letters.