Bob Dorough
| Bob Dorough | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Lrod Dorough |
| Born |
December 12, 1923 Cherry Hill, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1940s–present |
| Labels | Bethlehem, Music Minus One, Capitol, 52e Rue Est, Red, Blue Note, Arbors, Candid |
| Associated acts | Sam Most, Bill Takas, Dave Frishberg, Blossom Dearie |
| Website | www |
Bob Dorough (born December 12, 1923) is an American bebop and cool jazz pianist, singer, composer, songwriter, arranger and producer.
He is perhaps best known as composer and performer of songs from Schoolhouse Rock!, a series of TV cartoons that appeared on Saturday mornings in the 1970s and 1980s. He worked with Miles Davis and Blossom Dearie, and his adventurous style influenced Mose Allison.
Dorough was born in Cherry Hill, Arkansas and grew up in Texas. During World War II, he participated in Army bands as pianist, clarinetist, saxophonist, and arranger. After that, he attended North Texas State University, where he studied composition and piano.
From 1949–1952 Dorough was a graduate student at Columbia University in New York City, and on the side played piano at local jazz clubs. He was hired for a tour by boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, who had interrupted his boxing career to pursue music. In Paris from 1954–1955 he worked as a musician and musical director, recording with jazz vocalist Blossom Dearie.
When Dorough returned to the U.S., he moved to Los Angeles, where he performed in various clubs, including a job between sets by comedian Lenny Bruce. His first album, Devil May Care, came out in 1956 and contained a version of Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite" with lyrics added by Dorough. Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis liked the album, and in 1962 when Columbia Records asked Davis to make a Christmas record, he sought out Dorough to provide lyrics and vocals. Blue Xmas appeared on the compilation album Jingle Bell Jazz. During that session Dorough recorded another song for Davis, "Nothing Like You," which appeared a few years later at the end of the Sorcerer album, making Dorough one of the few musicians with a vocal performance on a Miles Davis record.
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