- Joe Garland
Joseph Copeland "Joe" Garland (Aug. 15, 1903,
Norfolk, Virginia - April 21, 1977,Teaneck, New Jersey ) was an Americanjazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger, best known for writing "In the Mood ".Garland studied music at
Shaw University and theAeolian Conservatory . He started by playingclassical music but joined a jazz band,Graham Jackson 's Seminole Syncopators, in 1924, where he first recorded. He had a long run of associations as a sideman on saxophone and clarinet, withElmer Snowden (1925),Joe Steele ,Henri Saparo ,Leon Abbey (including a tour ofSouth America ),Charlie Skeete andJelly Roll Morton in the 1920s. The 1930s saw him playing withBobby Neal (1931) and theMills Blue Rhythm Band ; he was both a performer and an arranger for the Blue Rhythm Band from 1932 to 1936, whenLucky Millinder replaced him. Following this he played withEdgar Hayes (1937),Don Redman (1938), andLouis Armstrong (1939-42). In the 1940s he played withClaude Hopkins and others, and then returned to Armstrong's band from 1945-47. Following this he played withHerbie Fields , Hopkins again, andEarl Hines (1948). In the 1950s, he went into semi-retirement.Garland wrote a number of well-known
swing jazz hits, including theGlenn Miller hit "In the Mood " andLes Brown 's "Leap Frog ".References
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Scott Yanow , [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3bfyxqu5ldte~T1 Les Garland] atAllmusic
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