Bill Elliott: The Architect of Swing’s Modern Legacy
The Opening Swing
Bill Elliott isn’t just a name in swing music—he’s a force that has shaped its modern resurgence, a composer and arranger who has breathed life into vintage sounds, making them feel as fresh and electrifying as they did in their heyday. From his early days studying the giants of big band to leading his own swing orchestra, composing for Hollywood, and taking Broadway by storm, Elliott’s career is a testament to the timeless power of swing.
For over four decades, Elliott has worked with legendary musicians, orchestrated for award-winning productions, and built a reputation as the go-to maestro for anyone looking to capture the essence of authentic big band music. He isn’t just playing old tunes—he’s preserving and evolving an art form that defined generations.
But how does a kid from Boston end up swinging through the golden halls of Hollywood and Broadway, nominated for multiple Grammy, Emmy and Tony awards? It’s a story of passion, dedication, and an undying love for the rhythms that make people move. This is the journey of Bill Elliott—a man who never stopped chasing the perfect swing.
The Early Days: A Pianist with a Plan
Before the big band arrangements, before Broadway, before Hollywood, Bill Elliott was a young musician with a deep love for jazz and swing, growing up in a household filled with music. His father, an executive at RCA, would bring home records—Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall, Ray McKinley, and the Boston Pops performing Rhapsody in Blue—and they became the foundation of Elliott’s lifelong musical obsession.
“I wrote my first big band arrangement when I was 19,” he recalls. It was for Martin Mull, a comedy singer with a knack for satirical tunes. “He had all these different styles—Latin, jazz, country—and I was just thrown into the deep end.” Watch a performance by Martin Mull performance here.
Elliott’s early experiences weren’t just about playing; they were about absorbing. “I wasn’t just about Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw,” he says, waving a hand dismissively. “I was into the lesser-knowns—Will Bradley, Ray McKinley, Al Cooper. Those guys had something special.”
As a young musician, Elliott found himself in rooms with legends—sometimes by accident. “One night, I was sitting in with a guy who played with Charlie Barnet, and he casually mentioned jamming with Dizzy Gillespie,” he says, shaking his head as if still in disbelief. “It was that kind of thing—just sitting at a bar or a jam session, and suddenly, you’re talking to someone who shaped jazz history.”
But being surrounded by greatness didn’t come without challenges. “I was young, eager, and trying to prove myself,” Elliott admits. “You walk into a room full of seasoned musicians, and they’re watching you, waiting to see if you actually know what you’re doing. There were moments when I doubted myself.”
Even as he immersed himself in pop music in the 1970s—touring with Bonnie Raitt and playing keyboards for acts including Stevie Nicks, Donna Summer, Robbie Dupree, Smokey Robinson, Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Brown in the Southern California scene—his love for swing never waned. “There was this pressure to follow the trends, but I kept coming back to swing. It had a heartbeat that pop music didn’t.”
In Boston, before moving to LA, he had formed a swing combo called Bill Elliott and His Rhythm, modeled after Fats Waller’s group. “That was my first taste of leading a band,” he says. “When I got to LA, it was a different world, but the same rules applied—find the right people, get the right sound.”
It wasn’t long before Elliott realized that his passion for older music was leading him in a direction few others were exploring. “I saw the ghost bands of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, and they just didn’t have the same spark,” he says. “I thought, ‘This music is exciting—it should sound exciting.’”
There were hurdles along the way. The industry wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for swing revivalists. “People kept telling me, ‘Nobody listens to this anymore,’” Elliott recalls with a laugh. “I didn’t care. I knew there was something there.”
That realization would set him on a path that would redefine how modern audiences experienced big band music. Elliott wasn’t interested in nostalgia—he wanted to make swing feel as exhilarating as it had in its prime. And despite the obstacles, he was determined to bring it back.
Swinging Through the 90s: The LA Scene and a Big Band Revival
By the early 1990s, swing was no longer just a relic of the past—it was roaring back, and Bill Elliott was leading the charge. His Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra became a staple of the movement, with its tight arrangements, explosive energy, and a deep understanding of how swing should feel. “It wasn’t just about playing old music,” Elliott explains. “It was about making it alive again.”
One of the keys to the band’s success was their connection to dancers. “We had to get the BPM just right,” Elliott says. “Dancers didn’t want to adjust—they wanted the music to fit the dance, not the other way around.” This attention to detail made his band a favorite at legendary venues like The Derby, The Hollywood Palladium, and Swing Camp Catalina.
His very first gig with the band was at The Hollywood Roosevelt’s Cinegrill. “It was just a small gig,” Elliott remembers, “but then members of the Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association showed up. They were dancing in front of us, and it just floored me—I had never thought of this as dance music, I just wanted to play it. But seeing them move to what we played? That changed everything.”
And then there was that moment at Catalina that Elliott will never forget. “We had just played the night before, and the next morning, as I was walking through town, I kept hearing our songs coming from open windows, from people’s cabins, from little portable CD players,” he says, his eyes lighting up at the memory. “That was one of the most incredible things—to realize that people weren’t just listening to the music at the shows, they were living with it.” The band’s CDs Swing fever and Calling All Jitterbugs became underground gold. “We were selling out at every show,” he says. “It was amazing to see how many people wanted to take this music home.”
But with Napster’s rise, that excitement turned to frustration when they released their third CD, Swingin’ the Century, “It was deflating,” he admits. “People who loved our music weren’t buying it anymore—they were ripping it. And when you’re an independent band, that really hurts.” Despite this, Elliott remained a core figure in the swing revival. Hollywood took notice, and swing was suddenly everywhere—from GAP commercials to blockbuster films.
“One minute we were a niche group, and the next, swing was a mainstream phenomenon,” he says. But through it all, he stayed committed to authenticity. “A lot of bands were blending swing with punk or rockabilly, but I wanted to stay true to the music. For me, it was never about riding a trend. It was about keeping this music alive.”
By the early 2000s and in a post-9/11 world, the mainstream swing wave faded but Bill Elliott had already cemented his legacy. “Swing wasn’t just a moment for me—it was my life,” he says. “And no matter what happened, I knew I’d keep playing.”
Swinging into Hollywood: Bringing Big Band to the Screen
As the swing revival gained momentum, Hollywood took notice of Elliott’s expertise in authentic period music. His skill in crafting arrangements that perfectly captured the sound of classic big band made him a sought-after composer and orchestrator for film and television. Bill Elliott’s work as a composer and arranger has shaped the soundtracks of various films and television series, with his music featured in
One of his earliest major projects was Dick Tracy 1990, Warren Beatty’s visually stunning film that starred Madonna and paid homage to the gangster-era aesthetics of the 1930s. “That was a big deal,” Elliott recalls. “I worked on period arrangements that had to feel like they belonged in that world, and it was thrilling to see it all come to life on screen.”
From there, Elliott became a go-to name for vintage-style orchestrations. His work on Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), starring Halle Berry, required deep research to capture the essence of mid-century jazz and swing. “Dorothy Dandridge’s music had a very specific feel, and getting that right was a challenge I loved taking on.”
One of Elliott’s most fascinating insights from working on Introducing Dorothy Dandridge was how he saw the evolution of swing music reflected in the design of automobiles. When I mentioned to him that Streamliner, from this film, was one of my most favorite songs ever, he went on to explain, “One of the things that I really got into in studying swing and big band music was the way that it was advancing from, you know, from 1934, ‘35, ‘36—each year, the music was changing. And of course, the cars were too,” he explains. “To me, there was a correlation between the way the music sounded and the way cars looked. 1941 swing music sounds like a 1941 Buick to me.”
His talents extended to television as well. He arranged and conducted for Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story (2001) and other productions requiring sophisticated period arrangements. “It wasn’t just about writing music,” he explains. “It was about telling a story through sound.”
One of the most unexpected yet cherished turns in Elliott’s career came when he began collaborating with John Lithgow. Known primarily for his work as an actor, Lithgow had a deep appreciation for music and approached Elliott to help bring his children’s music projects to life. “That was such a unique experience,” Elliott says. “John had this incredible enthusiasm for introducing kids to swing, jazz, and big band music in a way that was playful but still sophisticated.”
Together, they worked on albums like Singin’ in the Bathtub (1999) and The Sunny Side of the Street (2006), projects that introduced young listeners to classic tunes with fresh, engaging arrangements. “It was special because we weren’t dumbing it down,” Elliott explains. “We were showing kids that swing music could be fun, exciting, and just as engaging as anything modern.”
This period reinforced Elliott’s belief that swing music wasn’t just a nostalgic relic—it was a living, breathing art form that could be adapted for any audience. His work in film and television paved the way for his next chapter: Broadway.
Broadway: The Pinnacle of a Career in Swing
Transitioning from film and television into Broadway wasn’t something Elliott had planned, but like much of his career, it happened organically.
His first major Broadway project was Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012), a reimagining of George and Ira Gershwin’s music in a classic screwball comedy setting. “That was my first time really stepping into the Broadway world, and it was a rush,” Elliott recalls. The show’s orchestrations earned him a Tony nomination, an experience he describes as surreal.
But it was An American in Paris (2015) that marked his defining moment.
During the development of An American in Paris, Bill Elliott nearly missed out on orchestrating what would become one of his most celebrated Broadway projects. The producers initially had their sights set on Grammy and Tony award winner, Don Sebesky, a legendary orchestrator whom Elliott himself deeply admired. “The producers wanted a very brilliant orchestrator, someone who was an expert in Gershwin, Don Sebesky, who was a hero of mine,” Elliott recalls. “I mean, I certainly can’t fault them for wanting him.”
However, as production deadlines loomed, circumstances unexpectedly shifted in Elliott’s favor. Sebesky fell ill and was ultimately unable to complete the work. With time running out, the producers had to make a quick decision, and that’s when Elliott was brought in. “They were running out of time, and Don was just not able to do the work,” he explains.
Orchestrating for Broadway comes with its own unique challenges, something Elliott learned quickly. “When they reach that point where they can say, ‘Yes, this is set,’ to the point where you can orchestrate it, and then the orchestra rehearsals are two or three weeks after that, so there’s a lot of music to do,” he explains. The cast and music supervisor first work out the routines and choreography before the orchestrator can really start their work. This leaves a very narrow time window between knowing what needs to be done and when the orchestra rehearsals begin. “The busiest three weeks of my life,” Elliott laughs, describing the intensity of orchestrating a brand-new Broadway production.
What began as an eleventh-hour replacement turned into a career-defining moment. Elliott’s orchestrations for An American in Paris would go on to earn widespread acclaim, ultimately winning the 2015 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations, securing Elliott’s place among Broadway’s finest. Though he may not have been the producers’ first choice, fate had other plans, giving him the opportunity to leave his own mark on one of Broadway’s most ambitious productions. “I still can’t believe it,” he says, shaking his head. “Standing there, holding that award—it was the culmination of everything I had worked for.”
With characteristic humor, Elliott acknowledges how lucky his timing was. “I thank the Lord that Hamilton opened later than the deadline for that year,” he quips about Lin Manuel Miranda’s historical sweep of the 2016 Tony Awards with Hamilton. “If Hamilton had opened in May, I would not have won that Tony.”
After An American in Paris, Elliott took on another ambitious Broadway project: Bandstand (2017). Unlike his previous work with classic composers like Gershwin and Rodgers & Hammerstein, this was the first show he worked on where the composers were alive and actively involved in the creative process. “It was a completely different experience,” Elliott explains. “I was used to working with the music of Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers & Hammerstein—composers from the past. But with Bandstand, I was working directly with the creators, which made the process more collaborative and dynamic.”
He and co-orchestrator Greg Anthony Rassen first worked on Bandstand at the Paper Mill Playhouse before it moved to Broadway in 2017. The show, which blended swing-era music with a deeply emotional story about World War II veterans, earned Elliott yet another Tony nomination for Best Orchestrations. “It was an incredible experience,” he says. “That show had so much heart, and musically, it was right in my wheelhouse.”
In addition to show, Bill Elliott lent his talents to Michael Feinstein’s The Sinatra Project, serving as both arranger and producer on the Grammy-nominated album. He also collaborated on David Campbell’s On Broadway, bringing his signature touch to the Australian singer’s theatrical tribute.
Even with a Tony in hand, Elliott remains humble about his Broadway career. “It’s not about the awards,” he insists. “It’s about the music, the craft, and the people you work with. That’s what makes it special.”
Carrying the Legacy Forward: Bill Elliott’s Current Work
Even after decades in the industry, Bill Elliott shows no signs of slowing down. While he no longer leads his own big band, his passion for orchestration and arrangement continues to shape his career. “Swing isn’t just music—it’s a feeling, a movement, a way of looking at the world,” he says. “And as long as I can keep bringing that to life, I’ll keep going.”
One of his most recent high-profile projects was collaborating with actor Hugh Jackman. Elliott arranged for Jackman, which debuted at Radio City Music Hall. “It was incredible working with Hugh,” Elliott recalls. “He’s a fantastic performer and really wanted to pay tribute to Sinatra in a big, authentic way.” Jackman’s show was a huge success, and Elliott traveled to New York to oversee rehearsals. Jackman will continue performing at Radio City Music Hall one weekend per month from April through October, and Elliott encourages fans to experience the show live.
Beyond his work with Jackman, Elliott was an integral part of the faculty at Berklee College of Music, a role that has allowed him to mentor young musicians while still pursuing his work in Broadway and film. “Seeing my students thrive in the industry, knowing that something I taught them helped shape their careers—that’s one of the most rewarding parts of this job,” he says. His path to becoming a professor at Berklee is as unconventional as his career itself. “I never went to college, and yet I became a teacher,” he says, still amused by the irony. His expertise, honed through decades of real-world experience, brought a different perspective to the classroom—one that focused on practical application rather than just theory.
Elliott quickly noticed that many students were composing music using programs like Finale and other notation software but were creating arrangements that didn’t translate well to live musicians. “I’d see parts written in ways that were technically possible but impractical to play,” he explains. Drawing from his extensive work as an arranger and orchestrator, he made it his mission to teach students how to write music that worked in real-world performance settings. “It’s one thing to make something sound great on a computer,” he says, “but it’s another thing entirely to write something that musicians can actually play well and bring to life.”
In addition to his teaching, Elliott has also been deeply involved in contemporary classical music, collaborating with renowned singer and conductor Barbara Hannigan. Their partnership began after An American in Paris, when Hannigan sought an arranger with expertise in Gershwin. Together, they created a medley of songs from Girl Crazy, which was paired with Alban Berg’s Lulu Suite—a bold and unexpected combination. Their work led to Hannigan winning a Grammy for Best Classical Vocal Performance. “Working with Barbara opened my world to contemporary classical music in a way I hadn’t experienced before,” Elliott reflects. “She’s an inspiring conductor, and the collaboration was something truly special.”
Though he acknowledges that his days of leading a big band are behind him, Elliott’s dedication to orchestration, arranging, and education keeps him at the forefront of modern music. Whether working on Broadway, film, or high-profile collaborations, he remains a vital force in keeping swing and orchestral music alive for new generations.
A Legacy in Motion
Bill Elliott’s career is a testament to the enduring power of swing music. From a young pianist captivated by the rhythms of big band to a Tony-winning orchestrator shaping the sound of modern productions, his journey has been one of devotion, reinvention, and impact. His ability to bridge the past and present has ensured that swing remains more than nostalgia—it’s a living, breathing force that continues to move audiences.
His milestones are many: arranging for Hollywood’s most dazzling films, bringing authenticity to Broadway’s grandest stages, mentoring rising musicians at Berklee, and collaborating with world-class artists who share his reverence for timeless sound. Each endeavor speaks to his unwavering mission—to not just preserve swing, but to propel it forward, proving its relevance in every era.
Though he no longer leads a big band, Elliott remains a defining presence in orchestration and arrangement. Whether crafting a Sinatra tribute for Hugh Jackman, composing with contemporary classical virtuosos like Barbara Hannigan, or shaping the next generation of musicians, his influence continues to ripple through the industry.
For Elliott, music is more than a profession—it is a calling. It’s not about fame or accolades but about the craft, the storytelling, and the people who bring it to life. His arrangements are more than notes; they are echoes of a bygone era, refined for today and made timeless for tomorrow.
As he reflects on his journey, one thing is certain: swing is not just history, and neither is he. Bill Elliott’s music will continue to play, inspiring generations to come.
As he puts it: “Music has taken me places I never expected. And the journey isn’t over yet.”
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