Italian-American musician, noted for the innovative arrangements he wrote for Stan Kenton’s orchestras during 1945-49. Although an important figure in the history of jazz, his focus gradually turned entirely to scoring for television and films. Rugolo wrote for television series like “The Thin Man,” “The Stranger” and “The Fugitive,” as well as for films like “Glory Alley” and “The Sweet Ride.”
Born in Sicily, his parents immigrated to the United States when he was only five years old. The family settled in Santa Rosa, California, where he soon began playing the baritone. He went on to learn other instruments including the piano and French horn. Rugolo earned his Bachelor’s Degree in music at San Francisco State College and studied composition at Mills College in Oakland. After graduating, he was hired by the bandleader Johnny Richards, but in 1942, he was drafted. He spent most of his military service playing in an Army band, and after his discharge in 1945, he went to work for Stan Kenton.
Capitol Records hired him in 1949, and as music director for the East Coast, he worked with legendary musicians like Nat King Cole and Mel Torme. Eventually he moved to Hollywood where he worked for MGM and Mercury Records, and by the 1960s, he exclusively did studio work, only recording soundtrack albums.
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