One of the top freelance arrangers of the swing era,
Buster Harding was flexible enough to also write some modern charts during the bop era. He grew up in Cleveland where the teenager led his own band in the early 1930's. After working in Buffalo with Marion Sears and spending a year in Canada,
Harding arranged and played second piano for Teddy Wilson's Orchestra (1939-40). He also wrote for
Coleman Hawkins' short lived big band, headed a quartet and then was staff arranger for
Cab Calloway (1941-42).
Harding became a very busy freelancer arranger for a variety of top bands including those of
Count Basie,
Artie Shaw,
Benny Goodman ("Scarecrow"),
Cab Calloway ("Jonah Joins The Cab"),
Earl Hines,
Glenn Miller,
Tommy Dorsey,
Dizzy Gillespie and others including
Billie Holiday in 1954. Harding was less active later in life although he worked for
Jonah Jones for a period in the 1960's. Strangely enough, the underrated but talented arranger
Buster Harding never led his own record date. ~ Scott Yanow