b. 29 June 1922, Newton, Massachusetts, USA, d. 21 November 2001, Los Angeles, California, USA. After studying music at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Burns worked with several late swing-era bands, including Charlie Barnet's, as both pianist and arranger. His best-known period was as a member of Woody Herman's First Herd, during which time he was not only one quarter of a superb rhythm section (the others being Billy Bauer, Chubby Jackson and Dave Tough), but also arranged some of the band's most successful numbers (in some cases formalizing classic head arrangements, like that of "Apple Honey"). In 1945 Burns decided to concentrate on writing and arranging, and contributed some exciting charts for Herman's Four Brothers band. He also composed some longer works, among which are "Lady McGowan's Dream" and "Summer Sequence", both recorded by Herman. When the record company decided to reissue "Summer Sequence", they requested that a further section be added to the original three-part suite to fill the fourth side of a pair of 78 rpm releases. Burns obliged, and although some years had elapsed since the recording of the first three parts and the Herman band's personnel and style had substantially altered, he was able to recapture the mood successfully. The new piece, entitled "Early Autumn", became a favourite of many jazz players, including Stan Getz.

Listen to Ralph Burns at Finetune.

• (1996)  Cabaret: Original Sound Track Recording

• Cabaret
• Money, Money
• Mein Herr
• Willkommen
• Maybe This Time

• Original Broadway Cast
• Original London Cast
• Original Soundtrack
• Musical Cast Recording
• Original Cast
• Ella Fitzgerald
• David Bowie
• Frank Sinatra
• Company
• Broadway Cast
• Louis Armstrong
• Original Broadway Cast "Rent"
• Bebe Neuwirth
• Cole Porter
• Duke Ellington
• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Maria
• Original Cast Of Cats
• Lester Young
• LES MISERABLES

• eddielin11