Kenneth Ascher

Kenny Ascher

Kenny Ascher
Background information
Birth name Kenneth Lee Ascher
Born October 26, 1944 (1944-10-26) (age 67), Washington, D.C., USA
Genres big band, jazz, rock
Occupations Jazz pianist, composer, arranger, studio musician
Instruments piano

Kenneth "Kenny" Lee Ascher (b. Oct. 26, 1944, Washington, D.C.), is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who is active in jazz, rock, classical, and musical theater genres — in live venues, recording studios, and cinema production. He is widely known for co-writing, with Paul Williams, The Rainbow Connection — music from The Muppet Movie. Both Williams and Ascher received Oscar nominations for the 1979 Academy Awards for Best Original Song ("Rainbow Connection") and Best Original Score (The Muppet Movie Soundtrack). The song was also nominated for the Golden Globes for "Best Original Song" that same year.

Contents

His work

Ascher's work through the years has included keyboard parts and string arrangements on John Lennon's albums Mind Games, Walls and Bridges and Rock 'n' Roll and Yoko Ono's A Story, music for several songs from Barbra Streisand's remake of A Star Is Born (where he also served as music coordinator), and arrangements for portions of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf's masterpiece, Bat out of Hell (produced by Todd Rundgren). Ascher's own rendition of The Rainbow Connection was featured in the closing credits of The Break-Up (starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston). Ascher is the pianist with the Birdland Big Band, which performs Fridays from 5:15 to 7 at Birdland in New York City. The Birdland Big Band performs The Rainbow Connection, arranged by Lew Anderson.

In the latter 1960s, Ascher played piano and arranged for the Woody Herman Orchestra. Herman hired Ascher — on the advice of Frank Foster — to replace Nat Pierce, who had departed.[1][2] Ascher has been a member of ASCAP since 1968.

Selected compositions

  • Three for the show, m & arr. Ascher (©1960)
  • The White rabbit, music & arr. Ascher (©1960)
  • Scotch mist, music & arr. by Ascher (©1960)
  • Theme for Ken's men, m & arr. Ascher (©1960)
  • Retrospect, words & arr. Ascher (©1960)
  • Typically April: A Revolutionary Musical, lyrics and music by Ascher (1966)
  • Stars and sand (©1967)
  • Nightling (©1967)
  • April's in my lady's face (©1967)
  • Colors (©1967)
  • Dressed up for a dream (©1967)
  • These blues were made for cookin' (©1967)
  • Who can hear the nightingale? (©1967)
  • It seems different to me now (©1967)
  • Lullaby (©1967)
  • Last night's rain (©1967)
  • Laughin' place (©1967)
  • Miss Fitz (©1967)
  • Maybe another spring (©1967)
  • Funny little girl (©1967)
  • Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (1968)
  • 1968 Baltimore Colts Highlights (ASCAP 1968)
  • Music for Orchestra (Master's essay, Columbia University) (1968)
  • Bittersweet wild child, words by Donna Lee, music by Ascher (©1968)
  • Cavettina (©1968)
  • Silent partners, words Donna Lee, music Ascher (©1968)
  • So I told it to the rain, words Donna Lee Levitt (Donna Lee), music by Ascher (©1968)
  • You can't make this child cry, words Donna Lee Levitt, music by Ascher (©1968)
  • Here I go again, words Donna Lee (Donna Lee Levitt), music by Ascher (©1968)
  • My memory bank's been robbed, words Donna Lee (Donna Lee Levitt), music by Ascher (©1968)
  • Leaf in the wind, words and music by Lon Ritchie & Ascher (©1969)
  • Omnibus, words & music by Ascher, Donna Lee & Joe Renzetti (©1969)
  • One for Jim (©1970)
  • Another kind of blues (©1970)
  • Mosaics : a piece for guitar, string quartet and woodwind quartet with accompanying aesthetic commentary and description (thesis for Columbia University) (©1972)
  • Inspiration, by Paul Williams, Ascher (©1973)
  • Bugaloo and such (©1973)
  • Play, piper, play, words Donna Lee Levitt, music Ascher (©1973)
  • Little bit of love, words & music by Paul Williams & Ascher (©1974)
  • Lone star, words & music by Paul Williams & Ascher (©1974)
  • Loneliness, words & music Paul Williams & Ascher (©1974)
  • Nilsson sings Newman, by Paul Williams, Ascher (©1974)
  • Sad song, words & music Paul Williams & Ascher (©1974)
  • Sunday, words & music Paul Williams & Ascher (©1974)
  • You know me, by Paul Williams, Ascher (©1974)
  • She Sings for Free, words & music by Paul Williams & Ascher (©1974, ©2002)
  • You and Me Against the World, Paul Williams, Ascher (©1974)
  • Makin' the same mistakes (©1974)
  • Isn't it odd? (©1974)
  • Candlelight dreamer (©1974)
  • Bein' a movie star (©1974)
  • Coming undone (©1974)
  • With you, words Carole Bayer Sager, music Ascher (©1975)
  • Don't you worry child, words Carole Bayer Sager, music Ascher (©1975)

From the 1976 film, A Star is Born

  1. Watch Closely Now, Paul Williams, Ascher
  2. Hellacious Acres, Paul Williams, Ascher
  3. The Woman in the Moon, Paul Williams, Ascher
  4. Finale: With One More Look at You/Watch Closely Now, Paul Williams, Ascher
  • Run for life, vocal music by Ascher, lyrics by Albert Lerman (©1978)

From the 1979 film, The Muppet Movie

  1. Rainbow connection, words & music by Ascher and Paul Williams (©1979)
  2. Movin' right along, Paul Williams & Ascher (©1979)
  3. Never Before, Never Again!, – Miss Piggy, Paul Williams & Ascher (©1979)
  4. Never Before, Never Again!, – Instrumental, Paul Williams & Ascher (©1979)
  5. I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along!, – Kermit and Rowlf, Paul Williams & Ascher (©1979)
  6. Can you picture that?, Paul Williams & Ascher (©1979)
  7. I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along!, – Instrumental
  8. For goodness sake, Paul Williams, Ascher (©1979)
  9. Finale, the magic store, Paul Williams, Ascher (©1979)
  • For the life of me, Paul Williams, Ascher (©1979)
  • Making friends, Waring & LaRosa; arr. Ascher (©1979)
  • Gift, Paul Williams, Ascher (©1979)
  • Little more like you, Paul Williams, Ascher (©1979)
  • Save me a dream, Paul Williams, Ascher (©1979)
  • Go away
  • Song for children of all ages, words and music by Ascher
  • Kenny's ballad, music by Ascher (©1980)
  • Perfect crime, music & lyrics by Ascher & John Barranco (©1989)

Selected discography

As leader

As arranger

Woody's boogaloo, arranged by Ascher
B3 – You Know Me, by Ascher & Williams

As sideman or band member, on keyboards

A4 – The Sands Of Time And Changes (Ascher, piano)
B2 – A Song For You (Ascher, piano)
B2 – Sweet Misery (Ascher plays clavinet and organ)
A1 – A Little Bit Of Love, by Ascher
A4 – Sunday, by Ascher
B2 – She Sings For Free, by Ascher
B5 – Loneliness, by Ascher
B6 – Sad Song, by Ascher
B4 – I don't have to do what I don't want to do (Ascher plays melletron on this track)
B1 – You And Me Against The World, arr Don Hannah, written by Ascher & Williams
A1 – Watch Closely Now, by Ascher
A5 – Hellacious Acres, by Ascher
B1 – The Woman In The Moon, by Ascher and Williams
B4 – Finale: With One More Look At You / Watch Closely Now, by Ascher and Williams
A2 – You And Me Against the World, by Ascher and Williams
A4 – Loneliness, by Ascher and Williams
B2 – With One More Look at You, by Ascher and Williams
(Ascher produced tracks: A2, A4, B4, B5)
A3 – Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad (string arrangement by Ascher)
B1 – Heaven Can Wait (string arrangement by Ascher)
A2 – Smoothin' On Down (Ascher plays clavinet on this track)
B – It Happened (Ascher, keyboards on the flipside only)
2-15 – Back By The River (Ascher plays keyboard)
1 – Morning Much Better, Ascher – piano
6 – Running Out Of Fools - If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody, Ascher – piano
10 – Time, Ascher – piano
11 – When The Sun Comes Shining Through (The Ladder), Ascher – piano
5 – Unscheduled Departures
8 – M.A.P.S. (Bob Mann, Kenny Ascher, Don Payne, Allen Schwartzberg)
10 – When She Loved Me (Ascher, keyboards)
14 – Baby Mine, (Ascher, keyboards & string arrangements)
4 – One Less Bell To Answer (piano, Ascher; arr Bacharach; strings arr, Ascher)
11 – Close To You (Ascher, piano)
12 – A House Is Not A Home (Ascher, piano)
  • The Birdland Big Band, The Lew Anderson Tribute Concert (live), I.E.G. Inc. (June 1, 2007)
  • Tommy Igoe and the Birdland Big Band, Live from New York (DVD) I.E.G. Inc. (Jan 1, 2009) (OCLC 271753259)
  • Andy Farber and His Orchestra, This Could be the Start of Something Big (2009)
  • Tommy Igoe and the Birdland Big Band, Eleven (11-11-11)

Awards & award nominations

Awards

Nominations

Past Grammy Nominations
Nominee Genre Category Title Performing
Artist
17th Annual (for recordings released between Oct 16, 1973 and Oct 15, 1974)
March 1, 1975
Paul Williams
Kenneth Ascher		 Songwriters Award Song of the Year You and Me Against the World Helen Reddy
20th Annual (for recordings released between Oct 1, 1976 and Sep 30, 1977)
February 23, 1977
Kenny Ascher, Alan Bergman,
Marilyn Bergman, Rupert Holmes,
Leon Russell, Barbra Streisand,
Donna Weiss, Paul Williams,
Kenny Loggins		 Composers and Arrangers Best Album of an Original Score
Written for a Motion Picture or a TV Special		 A Star is Born Motion Picture
22nd Annual (for recordings released between Oct 1, 1978 and Sep 30, 1979)
February 27, 1980
Paul Williams
Kenneth Ascher		 Composers and Arrangers Best Album of an Original Score
Written for a Motion Picture or a TV Special		 The Muppet Movie Motion Picture

Critically acclaimed live performances

Jingle writing

Ascher has composed (or co-composed) jingles for:

  1. Applause
  2. Gotcha
  3. Larry
  4. Mr. Calm
  1. The Beer
  2. Combined
  1. Brilliant Idea/ GE Brings Good Things to Life
  2. Cooking
  1. Never Underestimate
  2. Canned Chef
  3. Hockey
  4. Makes Itself
  5. Red Dress
  6. Snowman
  7. Stay Young
  8. Storm Radio – Winter
  9. Superhero
  10. Superman
  11. Tennis Anyone?
  12. Wild Ride
  1. Herman Joseph – Polo, revised arr by Kenny Ascher (©1981)
  2. Herman Joseph – Tennis, comp. & arr. by Kenny Ascher (©1981)
  3. Sailboat music and arr. by Kenneth Ascher (©1980)
  4. Billiards, music and arr. by Kenneth Ascher (©1980)

Many of Ascher's jingle compositions were (i) produced by Sunday Productions (Hilary Jay Lipsitz, president), (ii) published by Ahoskie Music, Inc. (Hilary Jay Lipsitz, president), and (iii) licensed by ASCAP.

Academic education

Ascher holds three diplomas from Columbia University:

While at Columbia, Ascher studied composition with Otto Luening, Jack Beeson, and Vladimir Ussachevsky and piano with William Albert Beller[7] (1900–1986). Ascher graduated from William F. Dykes High School in Atlanta, Georgia, as valedictorian, and entered Columbia College, Columbia University on a math scholarship. In 1966, while in college, the Kenny Ascher Quintet performed live in WKCR's Stone Soup at midnight.[8]

References

Inline citations

  1. ^ Woody Herman & Stuart Troup, The Woodchopper's Ball: The Autobiography of Woody Herman, pg. 121, Hal Leonard Corporation (1994)
  2. ^ Gene Lees (1928-2010), Leader of the Band: The Life of Woody Herman pg. 266, Oxford University Press (1995)
  3. ^ John Steuart Wilson (1913-2002), Jazz: Vital Creativity by Stamm Group, The New York Times, Feb. 25, 1973
  4. ^ Going Out Guide: You're Not Alone, The New York Times, May. 14, 1973
  5. ^ Stephen Holden, In Performance: Cabaret; Celebrations Without Tinsel, The New York Times, Dec. 12, 2000
  6. ^ Cabaret Guide, The New York Times, July 13, 2001
  7. ^ ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, fourth edition, compiled for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers by Jaques Cattell Press, New York, R.R. Bowker (1980)
  8. ^ Radio: Music, The New York Times, pg. 77, col. 2, Dec. 16, 1966
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