by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy

Here's the Wikipedia entry for Nelson Riddle who composed the music for the TV series: ROUTE 66: "In 1962, Riddle orchestrated two albums for Ella Fitzgerald , Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson , and Ella Swings Gently with Nelson , their first work together since 1959's Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook .

The mid-1960s would also see Fitzgerald and Riddle collaborate on the last of Ella's 'Songbooks', devoted to the songs of Jerome Kern (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook ) and Johnny Mercer (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook ).In 1963, Riddle joined Sinatra's newly-established label Reprise Records , under the musical direction of Morris Stoloff . Much of his work in the 1960s and 1970s was for film and television, including his hit theme song for Route 66; steady work scoring episodes of Batman and other television series, and composing the scores of several motion pictures including the Rat Pack features Robin and the 7 Hoods and the original Ocean's Eleven.

In the latter half of the 1960s, the partnership between Riddle and Frank Sinatra grew more distant as Sinatra began increasingly to turn to Don Costa , Billy May and an assortment of other arrangers for his album projects. Although Riddle would write various arrangements for Sinatra until the late 1970s, Strangers In The Night , released in 1966, was the last full album project the pair completed together.

The collection of Riddle-arranged songs was intended to expand on the success of the title track, which had been a number one hit single for Sinatra arranged by Ernie Freeman .During the 1970s, the majority of his work was for film and television, including the score for the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby , which earned Riddle his first Academy Award after some five nominations.

In 1973, he served as musical director for the Emmy Award winning The Julie Andrews Hour . Nelson Riddle's Orchestra also made numerous concert appearances throughout the 1970s, some of which were led and contracted by his good friend, Tommy Shepard .On March 14, 1977, Riddle conducted his last three arrangements for Sinatra.

The songs, "Linda," "Sweet Lorraine," and "Barbara," were intended for an album of songs with women's names. The album was never completed. "Sweet Lorraine" was released in 1990 and the other two on "The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings" in 1996. [1] 1982 saw Riddle work for the last time with Ella Fitzgerald , on her last orchestral Pablo album, The Best Is Yet to Come."