Don Bagley

Formally trained in bass, composition and arranging, Don Bagley made his early reputation touring and recording with <a href="spotify:artist:27hSR8e34ZM5vj5fUFixyb">Stan Kenton</a> from 1950-1953. He subsequently would work with <a href="spotify:artist:27hSR8e34ZM5vj5fUFixyb">Kenton</a> again at different times, but in 1954 Bagley began heading his own bands. He was quite busy as a session musician as well; Bagley recorded in Los Angeles with <a href="spotify:artist:7v4imS0moSyGdXyLgVTIV7">Nat "King" Cole</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6T4kUHIlszpj944ZXR3yNw">Maynard Ferguson</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3NUsiT2JSyaWAnWaXxDzhQ">Dexter Gordon</a> from 1950-52, then did overseas dates with <a href="spotify:artist:1pwr5rTWLVfqhvHfB7Reap">Zoot Sims</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4gquwMHteaMQ0ZQOMj9CsI">Lars Gullin</a> and a sextet led by <a href="spotify:artist:45bXfbMv7GMzRuytlzeQbJ">Frank Rosolino</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5lHmkwE4OFN9lS8dwjdfmo">Ake Persson</a> in Paris and Sweden in 1953. Bagley worked extensively with <a href="spotify:artist:27hSR8e34ZM5vj5fUFixyb">Kenton</a> again and with <a href="spotify:artist:1NcsSDCxHOZrAfYVtrahND">Les Brown</a> between 1956 and 1967, but still found the time to record in 1957 and 1958 with bands whose rosters included at times <a href="spotify:artist:5uN9BmZWzjh2YGQVni3m8D">Jimmie Rowles</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6M7ScGp8p2GspFJaIMh1Yo">Shelly Manne</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6G4hVmXKJ9NW5JecncK89f">Phil Woods</a>. There were also engagements with <a href="spotify:artist:60dYNEvXzIl38BKZoW8HYd">Pete Fountain</a> in 1959 and <a href="spotify:artist:34W7ZCX0LZeJd8q6boKGOk">Ben Webster</a> in 1961. The lucrative world of television and films beckoned, with Bagley doing many arrangements and compositions in the '70s and '80s, plus working from 1976-1984 for noted pop songwriter <a href="spotify:artist:35y7CZMg7jbG8Q96JY7dyC">Burt Bacharach</a>. ~ Ron Wynn, Rovi