Buddy Bregman

Louis Isidore "Buddy" Bregman (July 9, 1930 – January 8, 2017) was an American arranger and conductor. Biography Bregman was born in Chicago. His father was an executive in the steel industry. His uncle was songwriter Jule Styne. He spent summers in Hollywood with Styne, observing him compose music. Bregman wrote his first arrangement when he was eleven years old. After two years at the University of California in Los Angeles, he left to pursue a career in music. He wrote an arrangement for the song "Bazoom I Need Your Lovin'" (1954) by The Cheers, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. In 1955 he was appointed orchestra leader for the Gary Crosby Show on CBS radio. At the age of 25 Bregman became head of artists and repertoire (A&R) at Verve Records, founded and run by Norman Granz, after meeting with Granz at the home of Rosemary Clooney and José Ferrer. He arranged and conducted Verve's first single ("I'm With You"/"The Rock and Roll Waltz") and first album, Anita, both featuring vocals by Anita O'Day. In 1956 Bregman arranged and conducted three albums which were certified platinum by the RIAA. The first two recordings in Ella Fitzgerald's Songbooks were arranged by Bregman: the Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers entries. He also arranged several of Fitzgerald's early Verve singles. Learning that Bing Crosby was out of his exclusive contract at Decca, in 1956 Bregman conceived, arranged and conducted Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings, which was certified platinum. During the same year, he was arranger and conductor for The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards. Bregman arranged and conducted on albums for Toni Harper, Jane Powell, Ricky Nelson, and for his friend Fred Astaire, including several of Astaire's own songs.