Russell Garcia

West Coast jazz arranger and composer Russ Garcia was born April 12, 1916, in Oakland, CA. A product of San Francisco State University, he later studied composition under Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco before mounting a professional career as an arranger, collaborating with bandleaders Horace Heidt and Al Donahue. After settling in Los Angeles, Garcia worked as a composer and conductor on the Ronald Reagan-hosted radio show This Is America. After the program ended, he tenured for two years as a staff arranger with NBC Radio, followed by a stint teaching at Hollywood's Westlake Scho...