Ronnie Lang born 24 July 1927

Ronnie Lang (sometimes spelled Ronny; born July 24, 1927) is an American jazz alto saxophonist. A technically skilled player and a fine jazz improviser, who has spent much of his career in fairly anonymous settings, working in the studios. 

Ronnie Lang was born Ronald Langinger in Chicago, Illinois. Lang first received piano lessons and switched to the clarinet at the age of eleven before concentrating on the alto saxophone. His  professional début was with Hoagy Carmichael's Teenagers in Los Angeles. He also played with Earle Spencer (1946), Ike Carpenter, and Skinnay Ennis (1947). Lang gained attention during his two tenures with Les Brown's Orchestra (1949–50 interrupted by military service, resuming 1953–56) and led his own West Coast jazz groups for recordings in 1955 and 1956, including “Modern Jazz.” During this time he attended Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences studying music and woodwinds.

                                  

From 1958 to 1960 he worked in television and film studios on the West Coast. His numerous recordings as a session musician, on some of which he played flute and other reeds besides alto saxophone, include those he made with Dave Pell (1953, 1957), Stan Kenton (1954), John Graas, Pete Rugolo, and Louis Armstrong (all 1956), Don Fagerquist (1957), Manny Klein (1958), Frank Sinatra abd Henry Mancini (both 1960), Ella Fitzgerald (1962), Earl Hines (1963) Peggy Lee and producer Bob Thiele (1975). He played the iconic sax melodic line in Bernard Herrmann's score for the movie Taxi Driver (1976). 

L-R: Ronny Lang, Ted Nash, Gene Cipriano & Harry Klee

By the 1970’s he had begun to perform on recordings for television films, and advertising jingles, and ceased taking part in jazz or dance band sessions. 

His flute and saxophone (mostly unaccredited) can be heard on many films including: Hatari, Charade, Hurry Sundown, Enter the Dragon, Jaws, Futureworld, The Enforcer, Hammett, Sudden Impact, Gremlins, Taxi Driver, Karate Kid 1 & 2, and Cocoon. The list goes on and on. 

According to Tom Lord, he played in 228 jazz sessions between 1946 and 1992, including with Patti Page, Matt Dennis, Louis Armstrong/Hal Mooney, Johnny Richards, Mel Tormé, Bobby Troup, Connie Haines, Don Fagerquist, Ted Nash/Maxwell Davis, The Four Freshmen, Skip Martin, June Christy, Frank Sinatra/Nelson Riddle, Earl Hines and Erroll Garner.  

(Edited from The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Wikipedia & AllMusic)

Here’s a great YouTube post from Nica Langinger with Ronny (then 91 years old) talking about his life and playing his clarinet, saxophone and flute..