Biographical Note
King Bhumibol Adulyadej was Thailand's longest serving monarch, ruling from June 9, 1946, until his death on October 13, 2016. Born on December 5, 1927, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the youngest son of Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla, Bhumibol Adulyadej developed an interest in jazz while growing up in Switzerland and began playing the saxophone in 1942. Inspired by artists such as Louis Armstong, Sidney Bechet, Benny Carter, and Johnny Hodges, he composed his first song, "Candlelight Blues," in 1946 and formed the Lay Kram jazz band upon his return to Thailand in 1950. Beginning in 1952, Lay Kram broadcast live performances from the newly established Au San Amporn Satharn Radio Station to Thai audiences. Adulyadej frequently joined the band for private weekend jam sessions.
On July 5, 1960, he played for several hours in New York with Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, and Urbie Green. Lionel Hampton remarked warmly that Bhumipol was "simply the coolest king in the land." In addition to the saxophone, Adulyadej mastered clarinet, trumpet, and piano. He composed nearly fifty works throughout his life, including "Falling Rain" and "Love at Sundown" (1946), two of his best-known songs. Six of these songs appeared on Broadway in the musical Peepshow. Adulyadej's contibutions to music were recognized by the Yale School of Music in 2000, which bestowed upon him the Sanford Medal for his cultivation and support of jazz in Thailand. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of North Texas College of Music in 2003.