Musician Milt Bernhart, who worked with Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle and Andre Previn among others, diedJan. 22 at Adventist Medical Center, Glendale, Calif., of congestive heart failure. He was 77.
The native of Valparaiso, Ind., was orphaned at the age of 10 and sent to live with relatives in Chicago. He took up the tuba, then switched to trombone in high school.
At 16, he joined the experimental big band of Boyd Raeburn, during an engagement at Chicago's Bandbox club. A brief period of Army service was followed, in 1946, by the job that made his name, with the Stan Kenton orchestra.
Bernhart stayed with Kenton for 10 years, on and off, returning occasionally to the less successful Raeburn outfit, and once briefly joining Benny Goodman.
He settled in Los Angeles in 1951, hoping to enter the recording and motion picture studios. He played with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars at the club of the same name inHermosa Beach. Marlon Brando heard the group, decided he wanted them for the score to his next film, "The Wild One," and also arranged for leader Shorty Rogers to undertake a writing assignment on the picture. This became the breakthrough for jazz musicians in the film studios.
Shortly afterward, Bernhart joined the staff orchestra at Columbia Pictures, followed by 25 years of freelance work with film studios, TV networks and record companies, and with David Raksin, John Williams, Henry Mancini and Ray Brown.
His solo on Sinatra's 1956 recording of "I've Got You Under My Skin" is particularly memorable.
Bernhart continued to play weekend session at the Lighthouse with Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre, Shelly Manne and others. Their albums for the Contemporary label were among the most influential recordings of the West Coast jazz scene. His album, Modern Brass, was released in 1955.
In 1973, he purchased Kelly Travel Service in Hollywood and began a second career in the travel industry while continuing to work as a trombonist through much of the '70s.
In retirement, he took over the former Hollywood Press Club in 1986 and created the Big Band Academy of America, an organization devoted to promoting the music and history of big bands.
He remained active in the org and had planned to make this year his last as prexy and emcee of the BBAA's annual luncheon/concert.
That luncheon/reception will be held as planned noon March 7 (program at 2:15 p.m.) at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, Ca., as a tribute to his life and work. For reservations or information, visit
www.miltbernhart.com or call 818-841 5447.
Survivors include two sons, a daughter and five grandchildren.
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