All the "name" Big Bands had their own personal arrangers. Because the arrangement is what gives the song its KICK and what gives the band its own identifiable sound.

Quality Arrangers make all the difference!

Steve Cooper - Steve is our chief arranger providing much of the music you hear when you're out on the dance floor. Steve has been leading various dance bands in the Chicago area since the early 1970's and knows what dancing is all about. An accomplished trumpeter, Steve also plays the piano, saxophone, organ, and many other instruments. He has performed with the likes of Sammy Kaye, The Ted Weems Orchestra, The Teddy Lee Orchestra, Bob Crosby And His Bobcats, and many other "name" bands. He appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show when she did a special on ballroom dancing and he has also written arrangements for the New York Philharmonic.
He currently resides in the Chicago area with his wife Mary where he concentrates his free time on arranging and producing Big Band shows in tribute to Lawrence Welk, Red Nichols, and other stars of a bygone era.
When you're dancing to songs like "My Way," "When I Fall In Love," and "You're The Cream In My Coffee," those are just a sample of Steve's many danceable creations for our orchestra. To visit Steve's website, click here.

Don Glasser - Don's tagline "Music Smooth As Glass," meant just what it said, and every arrangement he crafted during his 40+ years in the music business was indeed just as smooth as glass. Perhaps one of the greatest alto saxophonists of any generation (2nd only to Carmen Lombardo), Don knew just what dance music should be.
Prior to World War II, Don lead his own band briefly before he was drafted. After the war he worked and arranged for the Art Kassel and Ray Pearl Orchestras.
Boasting the finest female vocalist of all time, Miss Energy herself, Lois Costello, the Don Glasser Orchestra was popular from 1954 until Don's retirement in 1997.
Don and Lois were favorites at New York's famous Roseland Dance City, The Peabody Hotel's Skyway Ballroom in Memphis, Chicago's Melody Mill Ballroom, and every dancing location in between!
When you're dancing to "Skirts," "Anything Goes," "Tea For Two," "Charley, My Boy," and "Sweet Georgia Brown," you're dancing to just a few of the many Don Glasser orchestrations we have in our library. It really doesn't get much better than this!

Robert Dix - Bob Dix lead one of the most popular West Coast Dance Orchestras from 1948 until his retirement in 1993 at the age of 85. Based out of Fresno, California, his orchestra was styled after the likes of the great Jan Garber.
A saxophonist from the very beginning, Bob was keenly aware of what dancers wanted, and his arrangements reflected his passion for keeping dancers happy.
Before being drafted for service in World War II, Bob worked with and arranged music for bands such as Orrin Tucker, Gus Arnheim, and a few other popular West Coast Dance Orchestras.
With his brother Al Dix (who played 1st trombone in the Dix Orchestra), the pair made some of the best danceable music one could ever hope for. Bob could be found in the lead Alto spot doubling on Clarinet. The Dix Orchestra eventually became the "House Band" at the historic Rainbow Ballroom in Fresno.
In the late 1960's, Bob traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he subbed on alto sax with the real Jan Garber Orchestra, getting a true glimpse at some of the finest dance music ever made in America.
Bob wrote most of his own orchestrations, with an astounding 600 charts to his credit (not including work he did for other Big Bands). That library - written for his own great Big Band - was shipped to Richmond several years ago so that a new generation of dancers could enjoy it.
When you're cutting a rug to songs like "I'll Get By," "Frenesi," and "Tuxedo Junction," it's Bob Dix that's giving you those happy feet!

Martin Silverman - A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Martin has been performing and arranging Big Band music since he was in high school back in the 1950's.
His foray into the world of the Big Bands began when he purchased his first Guy Lombardo 78 RPM record back in the early 1950's. He began writing orchestrations for the high school band in which he performed and later formed a dance band during his college years where the writing continued.
He is a protégé of Guy Lombardo's famous arranger, Dewey Bergman. Having studied Mr. Bergman's work for many years, his uncanny ability to recreate those great sounds is nothing short of a blessing for our orchestra.
In his professional career he turned to the world of law and has been a practicing attorney in the Lakewood, NJ area since the mid-1960's.
Some of the orchestrations he has contributed to our library include "Muskrat Ramble," "Time On My Hands," "Boo-Hoo," and "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody," to name but a few. You just can't resist the urge to dance when Martin has written one of our charts.

Frank Bettencourt - Frank spent nearly 25 years as lead trombonist and arranger for Jan Garber. Joining the "Idol of the Airlanes" in 1937, he began writing orchestrations for the orchestra immediately. With a brief time away from the band for the armed services during World War II, Frank returned in 1946 to continue his duties as trombonist and arranger.
In 1962 he formed his own orchestra which eventually became the "House Band" at New York's famous Roseland Dance City in Mid-town Manhattan.
For a period of time in the 1960's, Frank was Carol Channing's musical director in New York and later worked with other stars of Broadway.
In later years his orchestra primarily performed at "The Club" in Birmingham, Alabama and he continued to lead it up until he was in his 90's. He passed away in February of 2011 at the age of 94.
Frank contributed such great orchestrations to our library including "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You," "Little Brown Jug," "In The Mood," and many, many more!

Hunter Fuerste - Hunter began performing on the trombone during high school in his native Dubuque, Iowa. He studied music at North Texas State University and later went on to become one of the most sought after Ophthalmologists in the country, serving as head of the Iowa Medical Society for a number of years.
In 1972, he spent a year working with and arranging music for Dick Jurgens And His Orchestra. During this time, he traveled all across the Mid-West performing in all of the famous ballrooms including The Melody Mill, The Willowbrook, The Col, The Aragon, and so many more.
In 1976 he joined Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians as lead trombonist. He began writing orchestrations for the orchestra working alongside Lombardo arrangers Dewey Bergman and Larry Owen, an experience he will never forget.
Today he leads his "American Vintage Orchestra," based out of Dubuque, and continues to practice medicine.
His yearly concerts in tribute to the Big Band Era at the Grand Theater in Dubuque, usually sell out months in advance.
Among the many musical contributions Hunter has made to our library, you will find "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," "Little Dutch Mill," and "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails." To visit Hunter's web site, click here.

Ron Smolen - Whenever we've needed an arrangement of a specific tune for a specific event, Chicago area bandleader Ron Smolen, has come through for us. With a library containing well over 5,000 orchestrations, Ron has been able to help us acquire charts for unusual songs as well as many standards.
Ron began studying the accordion in high school and began leading a Big Band in the early 1970's. He later learned to play the piano and is predominately featured on that instrument with his Orchestra today.
Ron's first Big Band performed for one of the last public Big Band dances at the famous Aragon Ballroom in Chicago back in 1973.
Today, Ron leads a very popular Big Band in the Chicago area and is in demand wherever dancing feet need a good dancing beat!
We're very happy to be associated with Ron and some of the orchestrations he has provided us over the years include "You're Driving Me Crazy," "Heart Of My Heart," "Cheek To Cheek," and "Petite Fleur." To visit Ron's web site, click here.

Teddy Lee, Sr. - One of the most gifted alto saxophonists of all time, Teddy was perhaps the only saxophonist who could duplicate the sound of Carmen Lombardo.
In his early days he performed with and arranged for The Ray Pearl and Wayne King Orchestras.
In 1958 he formed a Big Band of his own in the Chicago area, and later became the house band at the famed Willowbrook Ballroom, where his son held court until the ballroom burned to the ground in October of 2016.
Writing danceable orchestrations was always his specialty, and his knack for pleasing dancers lives on today through his many wonderful musical gems.
When you're out on the dance floor dancing as The Royal Virginians perform "New York, New York," "Lucky Day," "Jumpin' At The Woodside," "One O'clock Jump," and countless others, you have Teddy Lee, Sr. to thank for that!