Reginald Foresythe

Reginald Charles Foresythe (28 May 1907 – 28 December 1958) was a British jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader.

Early life Foresythe was born and died in London. of Sierra Leone Creole descent and his mother was an Englishwoman of German descent. The Foresythe family descended from Charles Foresythe, a Sierra Leonean colonial official who settled in Lagos, Nigeria, in the 1860s. Charles Foresythe was born in the early nineteenth century to a European army captain and a mother from Tasso Island, Sierra Leone.

Career Foresythe played piano from the age of eight. He worked in the second half of the 1920s as a pianist and accordionist in dance bands in Paris, Australia, Hawaii, and California. He also wrote music for films by D. W. Griffith and played in Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders.

Following the war, Forsythe was diagnosed with "war nerves", what is today known as PTSD. A decade on from his heyday, his confidence shot, Foresythe became a full-blown alcoholic and spent the late 1940s and 50s playing clubs in Britain.

Discography All issues as The New Music of Reginald Foresythe unless otherwise indicated

London, 14 October 1933: "Serenade to a Wealthy Widow" (UK Columbia CB-675, US Columbia 2916-D) "Angry Jungle" (UK Columbia CB-675, US Columbia 2916-D) "Tea for Two" (rejected) London, 1933 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe, piano solo: "Caemembert" (UK Columbia DB-1244, US Columbia 3088-D) "Chromolithograph" (UK Columbia DB-1244, US no issue) London, 9 February 1934: "The Duke Insists" (UK Columbia CB-764, US Columbia 3000-D) "Berceuse for an Unwanted Child" (UK Columbia CB-726, US no issue) "Garden of Weed" (UK Columbia CB-726, US Columbia 3000-D) "Bit" (UK Columbia CB-744, US no issue) London, 1934 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet: "St. Louis Blues" (UK Columbia DB-1407, US Columbia 3088-D) "Because It's Love" (UK Columbia DB-1407, US no issue) London, 6 September 1934 "Deep Forest" (UK Columbia FB-1643, US Columbia 139-M) "Lament for Congo" (UK Columbia FB-1643, US Columbia 139-M) "Volcanic" (Eruption For Orchestra) (UK Columbia CB-787, US no issue) "The Autocrat Before Breakfast" (UK Columbia CB-787, US no issue) New York, 23 January 1935 "The Melancholy Clown" (UK Columbia FB-1233, US Columbia 3060-D) "Lullaby" (UK Columbia FB-1031, US Columbia 3012-D) "The Greener The Grass" (UK Columbia FB-1233, US Columbia 3060-D) "Dodging a Divorcee" (UK Columbia FB-1031, US Columbia 3012-D) London, 1935 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet: "Sweet Adeline" (intro; "Lonely Feet", "Why Was I Born?", "Here Am I") (UK Decca F-5636, US no issue) "Sweet Adeline" (cont; "Don't you Ever Leave Me", "We Were so Young") (UK Decca F-5636, US no issue) "Roberta" (intro; "I Won't Dance", "Lovely to Look At2) (UK Decca F-5637, US no issue) "Roberta" (intro; "Smoke Gets in your Eyes", "Touch of your Hand", "I Won't Dance") (UK Decca F-5637, US no issue) London 19 August 1935 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra): "Landscape" (UK Decca F-5660, US no issue) "Homage to Armstrong" (Chinatown, My Chinatown) (UK Decca F-5660, US no issue) "Tea for Two" (UK Decca F-5711, US no issue) "Sweet Georgia Brown" (UK Decca 5711, US no issue) London, 1936? (date unknown) Arthur Young and Reginald Foresythe, piano duo with drums: Anything Goes (Selection A) (UK Decca K-770 12", US no issue) Anything Goes (Selection B) (UK Decca K-770 12", US no issue) With The "Duke" (Part 1) (UK Decca K-778 12", US no issue) With The "Duke" (Part 2) (UK Decca K-778 12", US no issue) Hits of 1935 (Part 1) (UK Decca K-787 12", US no issue) Hits of 1935 (Part 2) (UK Decca K-787 12", US no issue) London, 1936? (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe, piano solo: "Cheek to Cheek" (UK Decca F-5758, US no issue) "The Piccolino" (UK Decca F-5758, US no issue) London, 6 November 1936 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra) "Swing For Roundabout" (UK Decca F-6203, US no issue) "Anything You Like" (UK Decca F-6291, US no issue) "The Revolt of the Yes Men" (UK Decca F-6203, US no issue) London, 27 November 1936 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra): "Mead and Woa" (UK Decca F-6291, US no issue) "Mediation in Porcelain" (UK Decca F-6481, US no issue) "Cross the Criss" (UK Decca F-6481, US no issue) "Aubade" (UK Decca F-6363, US issue) "Burlesque" (UK Decca F-6363, US no issue) London, 1938 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet: "Solitude" (UK His Master's Voice BD-BD-577, US Victor 26224) "Mood Indigo" (UK His Master's Voice BD-577, US Victor 26224) "Tiger Rag" (UK His Master's Voice BD-576, US Victor 26274) "St. Louis Blues" (UK His Master's Voice BD-576, US Victor 26274)

Filmography Jimmy Boy (1935) Calling the Tune (1936) The Big Noise (1936) Stars in Your Eyes (1956)