Harry Betts

Harry Betts was a trombonist and arranger who later worked extensively in Hollywood. His first major gig was as a trombonist and arranger with Stan Kenton in the early '50s, after which he settled in Hollywood, working in television and film as well as in the burgeoning jazz recording field. Betts worked with Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, June Christy, Shorty Rogers, Barney Kessel, Pete Rugolo, and Oscar Peterson during the 1950s, while in the 1960s he was associated with recordings by Sam Cooke (on Ain't That Good News), Carol Lawrence, Frank Sinatra, and Mel Tormé. During the 1970s, his work brought him into collaborations with such diverse artists as Bobby Sherman, Tower of Power, and Bruce Johnston. During the late '50s and early '60s, Betts was also closely associated with Choreo/AVA Records, for which he recorded his only album, The Jazz Soul of Doctor Kildare, in 1962, which featured a band of West Coast luminaries including Jack Sheldon, Milt Bernhart, Bud Shank, and Bill Perkins.