Johnny Richards

Johnny Richards, born Juan Manuel Cascale, was an influential American jazz arranger, composer, and bandleader known for his progressive and richly orchestrated big band scores in the 1950s and 1960s. A child prodigy, Richards was skilled on multiple instruments, including trumpet, violin, banjo, and saxophone, and began performing in vaudeville early on. He studied arranging at Syracuse University and worked in Hollywood before forming his own orchestra in the early 1940s. Though he faced limited commercial success leading to disbanding his orchestra in 1947, Richards gained wide recognition arranging for major jazz figures such as Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Barnet, and Sarah Vaughan. Notably, he was the arranger behind Stan Kenton's landmark albums like "Cuban Fire!" and also composed the popular song "Young at Heart," famously performed by Frank Sinatra. Richards' style was shaped by influences like Duke Ellington and Pete Rugolo, and he remains celebrated for his bold, complex, and vibrant jazz arrangements. He passed away in 1968 due to a brain tumor in New York City.