A Noted Television Composer

 

Artie Kane (Aaron Cohen 1929- ) is an American pianist, film score composer, and conductor with a career spanning over six decades. Kane composed the music for over 250 television shows including Wonder Woman, Vegas, Hotel, Dynasty, Matlock, A Question of Guilt, and Man Against the Mob. During his career, he conducted over sixty motion pictures at MGM, Disney, Universal, Fox, Warner Brothers, Sony, and Paramount.

Of special note was his Music Supervisor position on the first season of The Rockford Files. His chosen music for Rockford in his Firebird was unique for the series. Originally a ninety-minute episode, This Case is Closed (1974), is perhaps the best example. Rockford is staking out a suspect as an inventive heavy percussion score adds tension. As the chase begins, the brass and woodwinds kick in as the stunt driver and Garner speed through a residential neighborhood at a realistic pace. Kane's jazzy, seemingly Lalo Schifrin-inspired music during the chase, was, to my knowledge, never used again. The music chosen for the series was never the same after his tenure with the series eventually repeating the same music cues when the Firebird was in motion.