Jack Fascinato

Jack Fascinato (1915–1994) was an American composer, small orchestra leader, arranger, and pianist best known for his work in early television. By the 1960s, he worked primarily in commercials and often with producer Ken Snyder. In that capacity, Fascinato scored or arranged several animated or film inserts for the television series Sesame Street. Early years Fascinato was a Missouri native who graduated from Culver-Stockton College and attended the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. While he was a student at Culver-Stockton he led a band composed of students from the college. The group played for events on- and off-campus, including radio broadcasts for a station in Jefferson City, Missouri. Career Fascinato was a frequent performer and arranger on Chicago radio, often working with The Dinning Sisters trio on various series. He was the musical director for Starring Curt Massey (1943), and then spent a stint in the US Navy. In 1948, after musicians’ union head James Petrillo lifted a ban keeping musicians from performing live on television, Fascinato became musical director on Burr Tillstrom’s Kukla, Fran and Ollie, playing piano accompaniment, arranging music for the occas