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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSCHIFRIN, Lalo(b Boris Schifrin, 21 June 1932, Buenos Aires, Argentina; d 26 June 2025) Pianist, composer, arranger. Father played in Buenos Aires Philharmonic; he studied music, law, went to Paris on scholarship, represented Argentina at International Jazz Festival at Salle Pleyel '55. Formed 16- piece band in Argentina; encouraged by Dizzy Gillespie on a visit '56. Began composing, went to USA '58, worked with Gillespie '60--62 (wrote 'Gillespiana' and 'New Continent'), then for Quincy Jones; made his own eponymous album for Roulette and was soon busy at jazz festivals and writing TV and film music. Pop chart hits with Bossa Nova -- New Brazilian Jazz '62 on Audio Fidelity, Grammy-winning Music From Mission: Impossible '67 on Dot. He wrote albums such as Sweet Sass for Sarah Vaughan, Reflections for Stan Getz, The Cat for Jimmy Smith; also Dialogues For Jazz Quintet And Orchestra for Cannonball Adderley, Jazz Suite On The Mass Text for Paul Horn, Jazz Meets The Symphony '93 with Ray Brown, Grady Tate and the LPO; after More Jazz Meets The Symphony '94 the third in the series was Firebird '96 on Four Winds in USA, WEA in Europe, with a new arr. of the Mission: Impossible theme. Like Gunther Schuller (below) he hoped for a 'third stream' fusion of jazz and formal music, but it's difficult to talk the orchestra managers into it, and the albums do not sell well. His classical pieces incl. a concerto for double bass for Gary Karr, Cantos Aztecas for soloists, chorus and orchestra, much more; over 125 film scores '57--89 incl. Cincinnati Kid '65, Cool Hand Luke '67, Bullitt '68, Dirty Harry '71. With four Grammys and six Oscar nominations he is not short of work, incl. film Tango in Argentina and the Three Tenors world tour '96, as well as the Lili'uokalani Symphony on Urtext with choruses and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, on Hawaiian history. |