Uan Rasey

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Uan Rasey was an American trumpeter, best known for his studio work. He was born in 1921 in Glasgow, Montana, and taught himself to play the trumpet as a child. In 1937 he moved with his family to Los Angeles, where he began playing professionally with bandleaders such as Sonny Dunham, Ozzie Nelson and Alvino Rey. As a child he contracted polio, and throughout his career he played the trumpet on crutches. He was a keen follower of athletics and wanted a contract at MGM stating that he did not have to work on Saturdays, the day of the matches.

Music and breakthrough

From 1949 until the early 1970s he was first choice on trumpet at MGM and other studio orchestras. He played on a great deal of film music, including An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain, Gigi, Ben-Hur, West Side Story, My Fair Lady and Spartacus. His trumpet solo in Chinatown, Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-nominated score from 1974, is well known. In All the Fine Young Cannibals he played the music for Robert Wagner's character. He also played on records by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Mel Tormé, Doris Day, Judy Garland and The Monkees.

Influence

He taught until a great age, his pupils including Arturo Sandoval and Jack Sheldon. In 2009 he received the Honorary Award of the International Trumpet Guild, its highest distinction. He died in 2011. Rasey shows how much Hollywood owed to musicians you never saw on a poster.

Listening

In School of Rock

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