Bill Challis & His Orchestra

b. William H. Challis, 8 July 1904, Wilkes-Barre, Pa, USA, d. 4 Oct 1994, Wilkles-Barre, Pa, USA. A flexible musician, Challis performed piano and saxophone before learning to be a personnel arranger for music group service provider Jean Goldkette in 1926, when Goldkette’s music group included many enthusiastic youthful jazzmen, notably Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer. In 1927 Challis was among the group who deserted Goldkette for Paul Whiteman, with whom he continued to be until 1930. After that he freelanced, composing agreements for most big bands from the golf swing period, including those led by Fletcher Henderson, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw. He also composed for the Casa Loma Orchestra and trumpeter Bobby Hackett. For some of his profession Challis’ function was notably before its period. Although frequently disregarded in assessments from the function performed by arrangers in the introduction of big music group music, his graphs for Whiteman’s occasionally ponderous orchestra are outstanding specialized exercises which counter-top accusations that band hardly ever swung. Significantly, Challis’ lengthy association with Beiderbecke and various other top-flight jazzmen supposed that lots of of their finest jazz solos come in his agreements of tunes such as for example ‘Depressed Melody’, ‘Dardanella’ and ‘San’.