Jack Eskew
Encyclopedia
Jack Eskew (b. June 29, 1940) is a musical arranger
/orchestrator based in Los Angeles, California
. He studied music at the University of Southern California
before beginning his career by touring the United States
with various bands.
In the 1960s, he led the band at Disneyland that appeared nightly in the famous subterranean rising stage, playing trumpet
and piano
. He subsequently became music director at Disneyland. During the 1960s and '70s, he worked on such television shows as the classic The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, The Sonny and Cher Show, and The Mack Davis Show.
From the early 1980s, Eskew worked with Academy Award winning film composer Bill Conti
(best known for his scores of the Rocky
series and The Right Stuff
) and subsequently orchestrated The Karate Kid series, Baby Boom
, Betrayed
, A Prayer for the Dying
, Broadcast News
, The Addams Family
, Rookie of the Year
, Huckleberry Finn
, The Big Blue
, the Pierce Brosnan
remake of The Thomas Crown Affair
, Spy Hard
, 8 Seconds
, and Rocky Balboa, among others. Eskew, again working with Conti, has also worked as an orchestrator for numerous telecasts of the annual Academy Awards
.
Eskew has been nominated three times for an Emmy Award
, winning in 1994 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction, The 64th Annual Academy Awards.
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
/orchestrator based in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. He studied music at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
before beginning his career by touring the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with various bands.
In the 1960s, he led the band at Disneyland that appeared nightly in the famous subterranean rising stage, playing trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. He subsequently became music director at Disneyland. During the 1960s and '70s, he worked on such television shows as the classic The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, The Sonny and Cher Show, and The Mack Davis Show.
From the early 1980s, Eskew worked with Academy Award winning film composer Bill Conti
Bill Conti
William "Bill" Conti is an American film music composer who is frequently the conductor at the Academy Awards ceremony.-Early life and career:...
(best known for his scores of the Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
series and The Right Stuff
The Right Stuff
The Right Stuff is a 1983 American film adapted from Tom Wolfe's 1979 book The Right Stuff about the test pilots who were involved in high-speed aeronautical research at Edwards Air Force Base as well as those selected to be astronauts for Project Mercury, the United States' first attempt at manned...
) and subsequently orchestrated The Karate Kid series, Baby Boom
Baby Boom (film)
Baby Boom is a 1987 comedy film starring Diane Keaton. The film also launched a subsequent television show starring Kate Jackson, running from 1988 to 1989. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti and the cinematography was by William A. Fraker....
, Betrayed
Betrayed (1988 film)
Betrayed is a 1988 motion picture drama directed by Costa-Gavras, written by Joe Eszterhas and starring Tom Berenger and Debra Winger.-Plot:Set in the American Midwest, the film begins with the murder of a Jewish radio host in Chicago...
, A Prayer for the Dying
A Prayer for the Dying
A Prayer for the Dying is a 1987 thriller film about a former IRA member trying to escape his past. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Bob Hoskins, and Alan Bates...
, Broadcast News
Broadcast News (film)
Broadcast News is a 1987 romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by James L. Brooks. The film concerns a virtuoso television news producer , who has daily emotional breakdowns, a brilliant yet prickly reporter and his charismatic but far less seasoned rival...
, The Addams Family
The Addams Family
The Addams Family is a group of fictional characters created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. As named by Charles Addams, the Addams Family characters include Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday, Pugsley, and Thing....
, Rookie of the Year
Rookie of the Year
The Rookie of the Year award is given by a number of sports leagues, mainly in North America, to the top first-time professional athlete of a season. -Principal sports making award:...
, Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993 film)
The Adventures of Huck Finn is a 1993 Disney adventure film starring Elijah Wood and Courtney B. Vance; it is based on Mark Twain's novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, though it focuses almost exclusively on the first half of the book...
, The Big Blue
The Big Blue
The Big Blue is a 1988 English-language film made by French director Luc Besson. The film stars Jean-Marc Barr, Rosanna Arquette, Jean Reno and depicts a fictionalized account of the sporting rivalry between two famed free divers.-Background:...
, the Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
remake of The Thomas Crown Affair
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 film)
The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1999 American heist film directed by John McTiernan. The film, starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo and Denis Leary, is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name....
, Spy Hard
Spy Hard
Spy Hard is a 1996 American spy comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen and Nicollette Sheridan, parodying James Bond films and other action films. The introduction to the song is sung by comedy artist "Weird Al" Yankovic-Plot:...
, 8 Seconds
8 Seconds
8 Seconds is a 1994 biographical film about American rodeo legend and world bull riding champion Lane Frost. It details his life from his youth learning how to ride bulls, until his death in 1989. It was directed by John G...
, and Rocky Balboa, among others. Eskew, again working with Conti, has also worked as an orchestrator for numerous telecasts of the annual Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
Eskew has been nominated three times for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, winning in 1994 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction, The 64th Annual Academy Awards.