Bob Graettinger
b. 31 October 1923, Ontario, Canada, d. 12 March 1957. Early in his professional career, Graettinger composed fairly orthodox material for the bands of Benny Carter, Alvino Rey and others; but in the late '40s he became associated with Stan Kenton, where his work began to explore new areas. He took a principle adopted by Duke Ellington, that of writing each part with a specific musician in mind, to extremes, creating music that was not only difficult to play but in which each part was independent of any other. He travelled with the Kenton band, listening to each musician in turn until he knew exactly what their individual capabilities were. His unusual approach to writing extended to the form his arrangements took on paper; he used colours and symbols to indicate the sound he wanted the musicians to achieve. His major works for Kenton were the suites City Of Glass and This Modern World, both of which anticipated the atonality later explored by freeform jazz musicians.