Johnny Richards

Johnny Richards (November 2, 1911 – October 7, 1968) was a jazz arranger and composer in the mid-20th century United States. He was a pivotal arranger for some of the more adventurous, boisterous Stan Kenton big band performances on recordings in the 1950s: the Cuban Fire! suite is probably the best known of those compositions.

Biography
Richards was born in Toluca, Mexico, as Juan Manuel Cascales, to a Spanish father (Juan Cascales y Valero) and a Mexican mother (Maria Celia Arrue AKA Marie Cascales), whose parents were Spanish immigrants to Mexico. He entered the United States at Laredo, Texas, along with his mother, three brothers (also professional musicians) and sister: Jose Luis Cascales (Joe), Carlos Guillermo Cascales (known in the music world as Chuck Cabot), Maria de los Angeles Cascales (Angeles/Anne Beaufait), and Juan Adolfo Cascales (Jack) on August 4, 1919 (reference: U. S. Department of Labor, Immigration Service, Laredo, Texas, receipt #106831/14989 and United States of America Declaration of Intention #11261, certification No. 23 103364, dated November 21, 1941, Los Angeles, California. Copies of these documents are owned by Richards' niece, daughter of his brother Chuck, and are also part of public record).

Richards' father, Juan Cascales y Valero, came earlier, crossing the border at Laredo, Texas, on June 4, 1919 (reference www.Ancestry.com Database: Border Crossings from Mexico to U. S., 1903–1957). The family lived first in Los Angeles, California, (reference: 1920 United States Federal Census, Los Angeles Assembly District 74, Los Angeles, California; roll T625_115; page 2B; Enumeration District 429, image 140) and later in San Fernando, California, where Joe, Johnny, and Chuck attended and graduated from San Fernando High School. In 1930 Richards was living in Fullerton, California, and attending Fullerton College (reference: 1930 United States Federal Census, Fullerton, Orange, California; roll 181, page 3B, Enumeration District: 33, Image 311.0).

Richards worked in Los Angeles, California from the late 1930s to 1952. In 1952 he moved to New York City. He had been arranging for Stan Kenton since 1950 and continued to do so through the mid-1960s. He also led his own bands throughout his career. In addition, he wrote the music for the popular song Young at Heart (1953), made famous by Frank Sinatra and others.

Richards died October 7, 1968, in New York, New York, of a brain tumor. Reviewers have deemed his style as being influenced by Duke Ellington and Pete Rugolo.

Selected discography

 * Under Charlie Barnet:
 * The Capitol Big Band Sessions (Capitol, 1948–1950)
 * Under Stan Kenton:
 * Cuban Fire (Capitol, 1956)
 * Back to Balboa (Capitol, 1958)
 * West Side Story (Capitol, 1961)
 * Adventures in Time (A Concerto for Orchestra)(Capitol, 1963)


 * As a leader
 * ''Something Wild, Something Else (Fresh Sounds, 1956 and 1959)
 * Mosaic Select (Mosaic, 2005) compilation