Reginald Foresythe

Reginald Foresythe (28 May 1907 - 28 December 1958) was a British jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader.

Foresythe was born and died in London. His father was a Yoruban barrister and his mother was an Englishwoman of German descent. He played piano from age eight, and worked in the second half of the 1920s as a pianist and accordionist in dance bands in Paris, Australia, Hawaii, and California. He also wrote music for films by D.W. Griffith, among others, and played in Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders. In 1930 Foresythe moved to Chicago.

Earl Hines made one of his songs, "Deep Forest," a regular part of his repertory, and Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Adrian Rollini, and Hal Kemp recorded Foresythe compositions. He worked in New York in 1934-35, arranging for Paul Whiteman and recording with Benny Goodman, John Kirby, and Gene Krupa. However, he spent much of his career on the dance band scene in Britain, later serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II and working as an accompanist to vocalists and a solo pianist in London in the 1950s.

Back in London, Foresythe assembled a studio recording group called "The New Music Of Reginald Foresythe". Between 1933-1936 he recorded for UK Columbia and UK Decca, usually spotlighting his own unusual jazzy tone poems. Among the more well known were "Serenade To A Wealthy Widow," "Garden Of Weed," "Dodging a Divorcee," and "Revolt Of The Yes-Men." His recordings featured reeds and sax, but no horns. Historians consider his works among the most advanced recordings of the era, although they didn't sell well at the time.

In January 1935, Foresythe assembled a one-off session in New York which featured Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa recording four of his compositions. Foresythe also recorded a number of piano solos and piano duets with Arthur Young (which included very advanced arrangements of "St. Louis Blues", "Tiger Rag", "Solitude" and "Mood Indigo" for H.M.V. in 1938).

Foresythe did some collaborative work with songwriters Andy Razaf and Ted Weems, including "Be Ready" (with both), "Please Don't Talk About My Man" (with Razaf), and "He's a Son of the South" (with Razaf and Paul Denniker).

He had been largely forgotten by the time of his death in 1958.

Discography
All issues as THE NEW MUSIC OF REGINALD FORESYTHE, unless otherwise indicated) London, 14 October 1933 London, 1933 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe, piano solo London, 9 February 1934 London, 1934 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet London, 6 September 1934 New York, 23 January 1935 London, 1935 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet London 19 August 1935 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra) London, 1936? (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe, piano solo London, 6 November 1936 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra) London, 27 November 1936 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra) London, 1938 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet
 * Serenade To A Wealthy Widow (UK Columbia CB-675, US Columbia 2916-D)
 * Angry Jungle (UK Columbia CB-675, US Columbia 2916-D)
 * Tea for Two (rejected)
 * Caemembert (UK Columbia DB-1244, US Columbia 3088-D)
 * Chromolithograph (UK Columbia DB-1244, US no issue)
 * The Duke Insists (UK Columbia CB-764, US Columbia 3000-D)
 * Berceuse For An Unwanted Child (UK Columbia CB-726, US no issue)
 * Garden Of Weed (UK Columbia CB-726, US Columbia 3000-D)
 * Bit (UK Columbia CB-744, US no issue)
 * St. Louis Blues (UK Columbia DB-1407, US Columbia 3088-D)
 * Because It's Love (UK Columbia DB-1407, US no issue)
 * Deep Forest (UK FB-1643, US Columbia 139-M)
 * Lament for Congo (UK FB-1643, US Columbia 139-M)
 * Volcanic (Eruption For Orchestra) (UK Columbia CB-787, US no issue)
 * The Autocrat Before Breakfast (UK Columbia CB-787, US no issue)
 * The Melancholy Clown (UK FB-1233, US Columbia 3060-D)
 * Lullaby (UK Columbia FB-1031, US Columbia 3012-D)
 * The Greener The Grass (UK Columbia FB-1233, US Columbia 3060-D)
 * Dodging a Divorcee (UK Columbia FB-1031, US Columbia 3012-D)
 * Sweet Adeline (intro; Lonely Feet, Why Was I Born?, Here Am I) (UK Decca F-5636, US no issue)
 * Sweet Adeline (cont; Don't you Ever Leave Me, We Were so Young) (UK Decca F-5636, US no issue)
 * Landscape (UK Decca F-5660, US no issue)
 * Homage To Armstrong (Chinatown, My Chinatown) (UK Decca F-5660, US no issue)
 * Tea For Two (UK Decca F-5711, US no issue)
 * Sweet Georgia Brown (UK Decca 5711, US no issue)
 * Cheek to Cheek (UK Decca F-5758, US no issue)
 * The Piccolino (UK Decca F-5758, US no issue)
 * Swing For Roundabout (UK Decca F-6203, US no issue)
 * Anything You Like (UK Decca F-6291, US no issue)
 * The Revolt Of The Yes Men (UK Decca F-6203, US no issue)
 * Mead And Woad (UK Decca F-6291, US no issue)
 * Mediation In Porcelain (UK Decca F-6481, US no issue)
 * Cross The Criss (UK Decca F-6481, US no issue)
 * Aubade (UK Decca F-6363, US issue)
 * Burlesque (UK Decca F-6363, US no issue)
 * Solitude (UK HMV BD-_____, US Victor 26224)
 * Mood Indigo (UK HMV BD-____, US Victor 26224)
 * Tiger Rag (UK HMV BD-576, US Victor 26274)
 * St. Louis Blues (UK HMV BD-576, US Victor 26274)

Filmography
Calling the Tune (1936)
 * Stars in Your Eyes (1956)