David Bennett
Biography
David D. Bennett (3 September 1892, Ida Grove, Iowa – 27 August, 1990, Clarendon Hills, Ill.) was an American composer, arranger, pianist and clarinetist.
Bennett studied harmony, theory, counterpoint, and arranging at the Chicago College of Music. He was a clarinetist in the Sioux City Municipal Band and later played piano and clarinet in theater orchestras. In 1919, he began the study of saxophone and flute and undertook further studies in arranging.
He made a name for himself as an arranger for most of the leading bands and network radio shows. In 1937, he signed a contract with Carl Fischer to provide arrangements for that firm's catalog. Many of these arrangements, as well as some of his original compositions, remain available today. Among his many honors, he was elected to the American Bandmasters Association in 1954. Some of his works were composed under the pseudonym Norman North.
Bennett's music is characterized by ingenious rhythms, dynamic and harmonic effects, and good taste.
Mr. Bennett continued to play professionally well into his nineties.
Works for Winds
- Bad Boy Boogie Woogie (1944)
- Ballet Egyptian (as arranger) (1875/1957)
- Band Day March (1959)
- Basswood (1962)
- Cajun Country (1951)
- Citadel (1950)
- Clarinet Carousel (1961)
- Clarinet Polka (1941)
- Cole Porter Selection (as transcriber) (1947)
- The Fourth of July
- Gypsy Guitars (1951)
- Hora Staccato (as arranger, with Heifetz) (1906/1947)
- Latinata (1956)
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1941)
- Mississippi Suite Overture (as arranger) (1925/1954)
- On the Trail (as arranger) (1931/1951)
- Pan-American Promenade (1951)
- Saxophone Symphonette
- Stormy Weather (as arranger) (1933/1940)
- Student Prince, The Overture (as transcriber) (1924/1940)
Resources
- Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "David Bennett." Accessed 3 December 2022.
- Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 51-52.