Al Lerner was an American pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor from the big band era, born in Cleveland, Ohio. As a child, he helped earn money by singing in local saloons and later pursued piano, eventually developing his skills in jazz. His breakthrough came when he joined the Harry James band in New York, where he was featured in an unusual two-piano setup alongside Jack Gardner. Lerner co-composed “Music Makers” with Harry James, which became the band’s theme, and later wrote the music for “So Until I See You,” the closing theme for The Tonight Show with Jack Paar in the early 1960s. Over his career, he worked with numerous prominent artists and served as pianist for A Tribute to Eddie Duchin, the soundtrack of the 1956 film The Eddy Duchin Story. Lerner died on January 19, 2014, in Rancho Mirage, California.
