Claude Thornhill
1908–1965 (age 57)
Musician
Biography
Claude Thornhill was a pianist, bandleader, and arranger whose orchestra introduced a luminous blend of jazz, classical, and swing, creating atmospheric charts that inspired a generation of musicians.
He nurtured the talents of up-and-coming arrangers and kept his band moving through war and peace with hopeful, elegant sounds, and fellow artists recall his generosity at Roselawn Memorial Park.