Chris Caswell
Versatile, gifted, generous, creative and multi-faceted, these are a few of the adjectives attributed to Chris Caswell’s musical abilities.
Born in Rochester, New York, Chris grew up playing keyboards in various jazz and funk bands, eventually playing with the likes of Sarah Vaughn and Cannonball Adderly. After attending the ‘Arrangers Holiday’ program at the Eastman School of Music, he moved to Los Angeles, where his services as a musician, orchestrator and arranger were quickly utilized in several film and television projects ranging from HBO’s Happily Ever After, TNT’s Voice of the Planet and ITV’s Bimbles Bucket to ABC’s The Love Boat and NBC’s Alvin and the Chipmunks. Chris scored numerous films to include The Snow Queen and Chinatown Connection in addition to producing the soundtracks, receiving a Grammy Nomination for the Muppet Christmas Carol.
Throughout this period, Caswell enjoyed stints as a guest conductor with the London Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, and the Tonight Show Orchestra, among others. He continued to act as musical director at various times for ‘Legends In Concert’, Ben Vereen, Bill Withers, Frieda Payne, Peabo Bryson, Lola Falana, Doug Henning, Connie Francis, and Sally Kellerman. After working with Paul Williams for nearly three decades, the two have been busy on projects for the theater and television.
While accolades for his work as a lyricist on classic jazz compositions have been received from songwriting legends Hal David and Alan & Marilyn Bergman, among others, he enjoys the creation and expression of music in all forms. Whether performing as the music director and arranger for events as varied as a tribute to Stevie Wonder on Capitol Hill, writing a symphony to debut at Carnegie Hall, or working on Disney’s upcoming Muppet Holiday special, his versatility and originality remain constant.
Chris Caswell’s music underscores his varied roles: devoted father and husband, friend and musician, producer and engineer, composer and arranger, lyricist and script writer, all while supporting the development of emerging and established artists alike.