Information/Write-up
Born: March 31, 1914 – London, England
Died: September 21, 1980 – Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Johnny (John Edward) Burt was a Canadian arranger, composer, pianist, and conductor whose five-decade career spanned dance bands, national broadcasts, orchestral recordings, and a pivotal role in the development of Canadian recorded music. Born in London, England, and raised in Toronto from infancy, Burt studied piano as a child and later pursued composition with John Weinzweig. By the 1930s, he was performing professionally with Toronto dance bands led by Luigi Romanelli, Jack Slatter, and George Wade, while also fronting his own jazz trio on CFRB radio with Murray McEachern on reeds and Danny Perri on guitar.
In 1938, Burt travelled to Great Britain as a member of the Trump Davidson Orchestra under Ray Noble and briefly worked as pianist-arranger for Billy Bissett’s orchestra. Returning to Toronto in 1939, he joined Joe DeCourcy’s dance band and, by 1941, had relocated to the U.S. to serve as an arranger for Paul Whiteman’s orchestra. His wartime years were spent at HMCS York in Toronto, serving in the Royal Canadian Navy and composing for military broadcasts and navy ensembles.
Following the war, Burt emerged as a respected and prolific arranger at the CBC, writing charts for conductors such as Geoffrey Waddington, John Adaskin (Opportunity Knocks), Jean Deslauriers, Samuel Hersenhoren, and Paul Scherman. His trio—now with Stan Wilson on guitar and Sam Levine on bass—was featured on CBC Radio from 1946 to 1948. He also led his own orchestra on national broadcasts including Johnny Burt and Company (1952), and appeared on programs hosted by Elwood Glover, Wally Koster, and Gisèle MacKenzie.
In 1962, Burt was appointed music director of the Canadian Talent Library (CTL), a role he held for a decade. He supervised recordings for dozens of Canadian artists and made numerous LPs of his own. These included his debut Trombone (CTL 5004), Reminiscing (CTL 5014), and Song of the Tropics (CTL 5055), all showcasing his signature blend of lush string writing, jazz-inspired rhythm sections, and tasteful piano work. Trombonist Teddy Roderman was featured prominently on several of these records, including Trombone and Reminiscing, with Burt contributing original compositions like “Theme for Susan” and “Mike Fright.”
His 1964 sessions for Trombone featured an 11-piece ensemble including Roderman, Butch Watanabe, Steve Richards, Frank Reynolds, and Hank Monis, with Mickey Shannon on drums. In 1968, The Big Band of Johnny Burt brought together a stunning cross-section of Canadian jazz talent, including Erich Traugott, Guido Basso, Moe Koffman, Eugene Amaro, Peter Appleyard, and a full string section. This expanded ensemble recorded “From This Moment On” and other standards for RCA and CTL, preserving a distinctly Canadian spin on large-scale orchestral jazz.
In 1972, Burt released one of his most distinctive albums under the name The Johnny Burt Society: …Come Summer (CTL 5160), a sunshine pop/jazz vocal LP featuring six singers (Stephanie Taylor, Lynne McNeil, Kathy Collier, Les Leigh, Harvey Paterson, and Vern Kennedy) and a studio orchestra that included Moe Koffman, Ed Bickert, Peter Appleyard, Guido Basso, and Eugene Amaro. The record offered sparkling renditions of contemporary hits like “Cherish,” “The Candy Man,” and “Speak Softly Love,” and remains one of the rarest and most sought-after releases in the CTL catalog.
He also recorded multiple albums for RCA Camden and RCA Victor, including Dance to the Trombones (RCA CAS-997), Around the World (RCA PCS-1199), and two large-ensemble albums (CTL S-5100 / RCA CTLS-1100) showcasing sophisticated arrangements and Canadian all-star lineups. His final known session, recorded February 28, 1980, again featured many of his regular collaborators—Erich Traugott, Rob McConnell, Arnie Chycoski, Gene Amaro, Ian McDougall, Jack Zaza, Bernie Piltch, and others—performing Burt’s arrangement of “Moonlight Feels Right.”
Over 20 of Burt’s compositions were published by the Chappell Library of Background Music and recorded by artists such as Henry Cuesta, John Perrone, and Nat Raider. He also composed scores for the National Film Board and contributed to high-profile media campaigns, including the Miss Canada Pageant and its theme song. He served as a central creative force behind CTL’s goal of promoting Canadian content on domestic airwaves—at a time when many of his peers were relocating to the United States or Europe.
Johnny Burt passed away in Toronto on September 21, 1980, at the age of 66. His musical legacy is preserved through dozens of recordings for radio, vinyl, and television—works that shaped mid-century Canadian broadcasting and offered an elegant counterpoint to imported orchestral pop. As arranger, leader, and pianist, Johnny Burt made his mark not just on stage, but in the very structure and sound of Canadian recorded music.
-Robert Williston
Singers:
Stephanie Taylor
Lynne McNeil
Kathy Collier
Les Leigh
Harvey Paterson
Vern Kennedy
Musicians:
Erich Traugott
Guido Basso
Teddy Roderman
Murray Ginsberg
Butch Watanabe
Moe Koffman
Eugene Amaro
Bob Price
Ed Bickert
Bobby Edwards
Jerry Fuller
Peter Appleyard
No Comments