Los Angeles Jazz Society Salutes Johnny Mandel

Tierney joins 20+ performers including Herb Alpert, Alan Bergman, John Clayton, Diane Schuur, Paul Williams, Kurt Elling, Dianne Reeves and many, many more for this blockbuster virtual show.

Johnny Mandel composed and arranged for some of the leading big bands of the 1940s and ’50s before establishing himself as a writer of memorable movie scores and themes like “The Shadow of Your Smile,” “Emily” and “Suicide Is Painless,”  left us last June, but we will forever have his beautiful songs, scores and arrangements to remember him by.  Our salute will include performances of all 24 songs in the JOHNNY MANDEL SONGBOOK.  Over 30 artists and friends will perform and/or offer anecdotes about this talented musician!

Johnny Mandel was honored by the Los Angeles Jazz Society on three occasions – as Composer/Arranger, The Tribute Award and our Jazz Treasure Award with LACMA!  He attended, participated in, and/or supported so many of our Tributes and other events, and he will be missed.

Johnny’s arrangements were originally heard on Sid Caesar’s groundbreaking 1950s television series “Your Show of Shows” and on the first recordings Frank Sinatra made for Reprise, the record company founded by Sinatra in 1960. He wrote a Grammy-winning new arrangement (based on Nelson Riddle’s original one) of the Nat King Cole hit “Unforgettable” for the record that, through overdubbing, posthumously reunited Cole with his daughter Natalie.

A Message from John Clayton, Artistic Director
Los Angeles Jazz Society