Leroy Lovett born 17 March 1919

Leroy Lovett (March 17, 1919 -December 9, 2013) was an American jazz pianist and arranger.

It would be impossible to include all the accomplishments of Leroy “Lee” Lovett in a short synopsis, but suffice it to say that he was the epitome of talent. However, and despite his long and successful career as a pianist and arranger-composer, he only recorded two albums under his own name, both in 1959.

Olga Samafoff

Leroy C. Lovett (sometimes called "Lee" Lovett or Leroy "Lee" Lovett) was one of the top ranking musicians in his native Philadelphia. Born in Germantown, he he studied piano with Sophie Stokowski  (nee Olga Samaroff), the wife of Leopold Stokowski from the age of four, and began composing early. He received a bachelor's degree from Temple University and then continued his studies at the Schillinger House of Music. He directed his own band in Philadelphia before settling in New York City in 1945. There he arranged for Tiny Bradshaw and Luis Russell, and toured with Noble Sissle and Lucky Millinder, who he recorded with in 1949 and Big John Greer (1950). It was about then that Lovett decided to enter the recording field, and started handling sessions for Atlantic, Herald, Mercury, Columbia and RCA-Victor.

Mercer Ellington

After playing with Mercer Ellington he recorded as a swing pianist with the Johnny Hodges band (1951-2). This would become one of the finest jazz combos of the early ‘50s. The original group included such stellar tootlers as trombonist Lawrence Brown, (who was leaving Duke Ellington with Hodges), ex-Basie trumpeter Emmett Berry, and three ex-Ellingtonians, tenorist Al Sears, drummer Sonny Greer, and bassist Joe Benjamin. Although there were some personnel changes, the band remained active until late 1955, recording some great discs for Norman Granz’ labels Clef and Norgran. In those prolific years Lovett, working with Granz, wrote and arranged albums for Harry Carneyr (1954), Billie Holiday (1955), Lawrence Brown (1956), Cootie Williams (1957), and Cat Anderson (1959) and many others.  

The talented Mr. Lovett also stood out as a songwriter of pop hits such as Can’t I? (1953) sung by Nat King Cole,  All At Once (1954) by Don Cornell, and After the Lights Go Down Low (1956) by Al Hibbler. It would be impossible to include all his accomplishments in a short synopsis, but suffice it to say that Lee Lovett was the epitome of talent. From 1956 to 1957 Lovett was a record producer for Norman Granz. He then returned to Philadelphia and organized a 13 piece dance band, with which he recorded two albums under his own name, both in 1959: “Jazz Dance Party” and “Lee + 3”.

                          Here's ABC Hop from above album.

                                   

The first one, “Jazz Dance Party,” includes mainly rocking and slow selections that allow him to show all his versatility and trademark dexterity as a big band jazz arranger. Each section works its way up to some splendid demonstrations of exciting shouting, on which the so-called rhythm and blues players moved toward  the rich wellspring of Ellington jazz. Improvisations are melodic, vividly swinging and loaded with wit. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of these deeply moving performances is the great vitality with which the soloists are backed by the rest of the band in ensemble riffs—after they play their part, the band starts working on an introduction for the next solo, delivering some well-organized ensemble passages, with the Al Hall and “Butch” Ballard team swinging like mad all the way.

Leroy Lovett

“Lee + 3” finds Leroy leading a cohesive and versatile quartet session that swings from the get go. His piano playing, too often neglected, is forceful and passionate in the up-tempos, and subtle, rewarding and full of subdued emotion on the trio ballads. Saxophonist Bob Brown blows hard on tenor, with the phrasing, intonation and attack of a rooted blues player, and his work on alto is an exercise in eloquence. The roles of Hall and Ballard are thus boldly revealed in this stimulating set.

From 1959, he worked for Wynne Records and much later from 1968 to 1973 as an executive VP for Motown Records in Los Angeles. He also wrote film music. In his latter days Lovett, a native of Germantown, Pa., had two projects: his Executive Publishers Administration, a music consulting firm that advised artists and songwriters, and the Melodymakers Orchestra, which he belonged since 1987 arranging and playing piano. It was a a dance band with jazz flavourings that appeared the first Sunday of every month at Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City and the third Sunday of the month at Charley Brown’s in Thousand Oaks. He also played at private parties with a small band made up of guys from the big band. Lovett also appeared with the Uni-Bigband of Halle.

He died on December 9, 2013, in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California

(Edited from The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Wikipedia, CD Liner notes & Los Angeles Times)