Home » Jazz Musicians » Stan Ayeroff

Stan Ayeroff

Dream Street

Stan Ayeroff - Leader, Composer, Arranger, Guitars

Stan started out playing twangy surf guitar with his Malibu buddies. He quickly emerged as a guitar-smashing heart throb on the teenage fair circuit with The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (Reprise Record’s first group). High school graduation brought sessions for cartoons and the film “Wild In The Streets”, recordings with Davy Allen and the Arrows , Billy Joe Royal, Bobby “Boris” Pickett, Wanda Jackson, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles, Cream and Jimi Hendrix Songbooks. Stan’s band, The Smoke, recorded on Capitol Records.

While studying composition at California Institute of the Arts, Stan fell in love with swing music, especially Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France. During the 70’s and 80’s Stan led several swing bands and wrote books on Django, Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman. He performed with Texas R&B singer Delbert McClinton and became co-musical director (with Danny Elfman) of the original “Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo”, the notorious L.A. surrealistic musical theater group. Becoming arranger and guitarist for singer Vicki Carr became Stan’s antedote to the Avant- Garde.

An active songwriter and freelancer, Stan has continued to compose and perform for films, commercials, television and record dates. From 1994-1996 he served as Orchestral Supervisor for Rod Stewart, Page/Plant, The Who and Heart, also conducting a chamber orchestra for Heart’s video “The Road Home” on Capitol Records. Since 2002 Stan has been the musical director for a series of projects featuring Roger Daltry of The Who, and completed new, longer books on Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian for Mel Bay Publications.

In 2005 on the reccommendation of Ry Cooder, Stan was enlisted by drummer Jim Keltner to create a “Djangoesque” jingle for U.S. Healthcare. Stan assembled his musical dream team of violinist Sid Page, woodwind player Dan Higgins, bassist Dave Stone and percussionist Brad Dutz and the group “Snapdaddys” was born. Leslie joined in on bassoon for the track “Emily Jo”. Their instrumental CD “Snapdaddys” is available at the Dream Store.

For many years Stan has serenaded the stars on and off camera, once upon a time inspiring Sean Connery and Sophia Loren to dance to his solo guitar playing. Stan’s career came full circle when he returned to a Malibu beach to play ukelele for Jamie Lee Curtis in the movie “House Arrest”.

What’s Next?

Dream Street!

Tags

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Dream Street

Really Good Records
2009

buy

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.