Byers Billy

American jazz trombonist and arranger, a mid-1950s expatriate in Paris where he led a session of his own, and released the album Jazz on the Left Bank (1956). In the second half of the 1940s he arranged and played trombone for Georgie Auld, Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman, Charlie Ventura, and Teddy Powell. Following this he composed for WMGM (AM) radio and television in New York City. In the late 1950s in Europe he played with Harold Arlen (1959–1960) and with the orchestra of Quincy Jones. He became Joness assistant at Mercury Records in the 1960s, and arranged for Count Basie albums. He also recorded some Duke Ellington standards on his own. He toured Europe and Japan alongside Frank Sinatra in 1974. Byers had extensive credits arranging and conducting for film, and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations for City of Angels. Byers died in Malibu, California, on 1 May 1996 at age 69. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less