Johnny Mandel

Johnny Mandel, a five-time GRAMMY® winner and recipient of both an Academy Award® and an Emmy®, was one of America's most distinguished composers, arrangers, and producers. Over seven decades, his work bridged jazz, pop, and film, leaving an indelible mark on American music. Born in New York City, Mandel began arranging at age twelve, performing on trumpet and trombone with the bands of Joe Venuti, Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Artie Shaw, and Count Basie. By the late 1940s, he was writing for radio and television, and after relocating to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s, became one of the most sought-after arrangers in the industry. He shaped classic recordings for Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Chet Baker, and many others. Mandel debuted in film scoring with the all-jazz soundtrack for I Want to Live! (1958). His acclaimed scores include The Americanization of Emily (1964), The Sandpiper (1965), M*A*S*H (1970), and Being There (1979). As a songwriter, he composed standards including "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Academy Award® for Best Original Song), "Emily," "Where Do You Start?," and "Close Enough for Love." His honors include an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music (1993), induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2010), NEA Jazz Master (2011), and the GRAMMY® Trustees Award (2018). In later years he arranged and produced for Quincy Jones, Diana Krall, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, and Willie Nelson, among others.