Neal Paul Hefti (October 29, 1922 – October 11, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. He wrote music for The Odd Couple movie and TV series and for the Batman TV series.
He began arranging professionally in his teens, when he wrote charts for Nat Towles. He became a prominent composer and arranger while playing trumpet for Woody Herman; while working for Herman he provided new arrangements for \"Woodchopper's Ball\" and \"Blowin' Up a Storm\" and composed \"The Good Earth\" and \"Wild Root\". After leaving Herman's band in 1946, Hefti concentrated on arranging and composing, although he occasionally led his own bands. He is especially known for his charts for Count Basie such as \"Li'l Darlin'\" and \"Cute\".
Etta James, Billie Holiday, Bill Evans, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Muddy Waters, Django Reinhardt, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, James Brown, Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Elvis Presley, Count Basie, Herbie Hancock, Edith Piaf, Aretha Franklin, Charlie Parker, Lightnin' Hopkins, B.B. King, Thelonious Monk, Howlin' Wolf, Quincy Jones, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Paul Anka, John Coltrane, John Lee Hooker, Coleman Hawkins, Robert Johnson, Dean Martin, Oscar Peterson, George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, Benny Goodman, Art Tatum, Joe Turner, Bing Crosby, Dave Brubeck, Mahalia Jackson, Fats Domino, Marvin Gaye, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, Tony Bennett... and many others!
