Continued: Final Notes

Hefti toured with Harry James, arranged for Buddy Rich, and, during the 1950s, wrote jazz tunes for the Basie band which included "Splanky," "Little Pony," "Li'l Darlin'" and "Cute." Movie scores composed by Hefti during the 1960s and 1970s included scores to Barefoot in the Park, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Duel at Diablo, A New Leaf, Sex and the Single Girl, Boeing Boeing, How to Murder Your Wife and Harlow, for which he wrote "Girl Talk." His only Grammy was for "Batman." According to his son, Paul, "He told me he tore up more paper on 'Batman' than on any other work he ever did. He had to find something that worked with the lowest common denominator, so it would appeal to kids, yet wouldn't sound stupid. What he came up with was a 12-bar blues with a guitar hook and one word."

Hefti is survived by his son, Paul, also of Toluca Lake, Calif. Hefti's wife died in 1978; a daughter died in 1997. Hefti is also survived by a brother, Joe, of Pensacola, Fla.; a sister, Pat Wacha, of Clarkson, Neb.; and three grandchildren.

• • •

Veteran music publicist Peter J. Levinson, 74, died Oct. 21 at his Malibu, Calif., home of injuries suffered in a fall. He had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) nearly two years ago and was unable to speak, but, with the aid of a computer, he was able to work until the day of his death.

Levinson was a fervent and enthusiastic advocate for his clients, many of whom were leading names in the big band era. They included Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, Rosemary Clooney, Erroll Garner, Stan Getz, Peggy Lee, Jack Lemmon and Mel Torme.

When Levinson turned his hand to writing biographies of Harry James, Nelson Riddle and Tommy Dorsey, he contacted The Mississippi Rag, and the RAG was pleased to print excerpts from each book in the RAG. Levinson's book on James, Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James (1999) was a particularly impressive biography because Levinson had worked with the trumpeter from the 1930s and '40s and had insights and details on his life that produced an especially candid look at the trumpet great. It prompted a great compliment from jazz critic Nat Hentoff, who stated, "Trumpet Blues is one of the very few biographies of a musician I have read that not only told me much more than I thought I knew but compelled me to listen right away to the music again."

Levinson's September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle (2001) profiled the arranger who was best known for his work with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Peggy Lee, and, in 2005, Levinson's Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way was published, earning kudos from critics. At the time of his death, Levinson had just completed Puttin' On the Ritz, a book on the life and work of dancer Fred Astaire. The book will be released by St. Martin's Press next March.

Born July 1, 1934, in Atlantic City, N.J., Levinson earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Virginia where he began writing about jazz artists for the university's newspaper. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea, moved to New York after his discharge, and started freelance writing about jazz. He began working as a publicist at Columbia Records in the late 1950s and and eventually established a New York-based firm, Peter Levinson Communications, which became bicoastal when he moved to Southern California in the late 1980s.

Levinson's publicity campaigns included the television show Dallas, the films Z, Fiddler on the Roof and Kramer vs. Kramer, the unveiling of the Duke Ellington postage stamp in 1986 and the 60th anniversary of Decca Records.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Grace Diekhaus, and a brother, Dr. John Levinson of Wilmington, Del.

November 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.