Earle Hagen is a famous composer nobody ever heard of. One can argue with that syntax, but the fact is undeniable.
Do you know who wrote, “Harlem Nocturne?” Have you ever listened in wonder to Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey and Ray Noble and marveled at the great musicians who played with them during the Big Band era? Have you watched a television show or feature film and given any thought to the composer who wrote the score, or even won an Emmy or was nominated for an Oscar? Did you, even once, care about who did an arrangement for Marylin Monroe or Frank Sinatra? Do you really want to know what composer has been honored with BMI’s top award? Have you ever wondered who wrote and whistled the theme for “The Andy Griffith Show?’Has it ever crossed your mind that tomorrow’s film and television music will come, in large part, from the students getting much of their guidance from two singular textbooks?
Of course not! That’s why Earle Hagen is a famous composer that nobody, including you, ever heard of. And that’s why he’s written a gabby, breezy, anecdotal book about the half century career he had in music.
