ENDEIT
Nelson Riddle
Photo: ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Trombonists · 1921–1985

Nelson Riddle

American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator (1921-1985)

Born
1 June 1921
Oradell
Died
6 October 1985
Los Angeles
Country
United States
Record labels
Capitol Records, United Artists Records, MPS Records, Liberty Records, Solid State Records
Discography
34 albums

Biography

Nelson Riddle was a jazz musician who played trombone. Nelson Riddle was born on 1 June 1921 in Oradell and died on 6 October 1985 in Los Angeles. The music is usually filed under jazz, big band music and traditional pop. Record labels: Capitol Records, United Artists Records, MPS Records and Liberty Records. The discography here lists 34 albums, from “The Tender Touch” (1956) to “The Untouchables” (2011). Honours include Academy Award for Best Original Song Score (1975) and star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many vocalists at Capitol Records, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Johnny Mathis, Rosemary Clooney and Keely Smith. He scored and arranged music for many films and television shows, earning an Academy Award and three Grammy Awards. He found commercial and critical success with a new generation in the 1980s, in a trio of platinum albums with Linda Ronstadt.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

The Tender Touch 1956
Sea of Dreams 1958
The Joy of Living 1959
Love Tide 1961
Lolita 1962
Love Is a Game of Poker 1962
Swinging for You 1962
Come Blow Your Horn (Conducts His original Score From the Paramount Motion Picture) 1963
Paris When It Sizzles 1964
What a Way to Go! 1964
A Rage To Live 1965
Harlow 1965
Batman: Exclusive Original Television Soundtrack Album 1966
Matt Sings, Nelson Swings 1967
Contemporary Sound of Nelson Riddle 1968
101 Strings: Spectacular Brass!!! Fantastic Reeds!!! 1971
The Great Gatsby (Original Soundtrack Recording) 1974
101 Strings 1984
Nelson Riddle: The Riddle Touch 1987
The Sound of Magnificence 1987
Batman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2000
Route 66 & Other TV Themes / More Hit TV Themes 2002
Changing Colors 2004
Sea of Dreams / Love Tide 2004
An Orchestral Portrait of Nat "King" Cole 2005
Oklahoma / Can Can 2005
The Joy of Living / Love Is a Game of Poker 2007
Hey... Let Yourself Go / C'mon... Get Happy 2008
The Untouchables 2011
British Columbia Suite
Communication
Custer of the West / El Dorado
El Dorado
Hey Diddle Riddle

Also plays on

Albums where Nelson Riddle is credited as a sideman

1953 Sings for Two in Love — Nat ‘King’ Cole arranger, conductor
1954 Songs for Young Lovers — Frank Sinatra conductor
1954 Swing Easy! — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1955 In the Wee Small Hours — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1955 Christmas With Sinatra — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1956 Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1956 Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color — Frank Sinatra arranger
1957 A Swingin’ Affair! — Frank Sinatra conductor, orchestrator, arranger
1957 Close to You — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1958 Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely — Frank Sinatra, orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle arranger, conductor
1959 No One Cares — Frank Sinatra, orchestra conducted by Gordon Jenkins arranger, conductor
1959 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book — Ella Fitzgerald arranger, conductor
1959 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Song Book, Volume 1 — Ella Fitzgerald arranger, conductor
1959 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Song Book, Vol. 2 — Ella Fitzgerald arranger, conductor
1959 To Whom It May Concern — Nat King Cole arranger, conductor
1960 Nice ’n’ Easy — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor, performing orchestra
1960 This Time I’m Swingin’! — Dean Martin with orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle conductor
1961 Sinatra’s Swingin’ Session!!! — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1962 Sinatra & Strings — Frank Sinatra arranger
1962 Ella Swings Gently With Nelson — Ella Fitzgerald conductor
1963 The Concert Sinatra — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1963 Sinatra’s Sinatra — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1963 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook — Ella Fitzgerald arranger, conductor
1963 Sings the Blues — Nat King Cole arranger, conductor
1963 Oscar Peterson & Nelson Riddle — Oscar Peterson arranger, conductor
1964 Frank Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River and Other Academy Award Winners — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1964 12 Songs of Christmas — Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians arranger
1964 Return to Paradise Islands — Bing Crosby arranger, conductor
1965 A Man and His Music — Frank Sinatra arranger, conductor
1965 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book — Ella Fitzgerald arranger, conductor

Awards

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Nelson Riddle play?

Nelson Riddle is known for playing trombone.

When and where was Nelson Riddle born?

Nelson Riddle was born 1 June 1921 in Oradell.

What are Nelson Riddle's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include The Tender Touch (1956), Sea of Dreams (1958), The Joy of Living (1959), Love Tide (1961) and Lolita (1962).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.