Forums

Wonderful piece, Alex, and my condolences.

So glad you got to hear that band live...And I'd forgotten that QEH gig (2014, a quick search suggests) - but yes! I think I probably only took the reins for a piece or two - my memory is that they wanted some arrangements of tunes actually by Louis, of which there aren't so many, and he asked me if I could arrange them for the band... Ha! I wonder if Louis and John ever played together? It seems likely they must have done at some stage... Thanks so much for listening!

I will buy this, although I think it would sound more charming on a 100 years old piano. I once gave an evening of Satie's music with excerpts of his writings and letters for our friends - he was not only joking, but a bit out of his world - a true eccentic. After Debussy (they were kind of friends) criticized him for his lack of sense for musical form, he responded by sending Debussy his newly written "Sept morceaux en forme de poire" - seven pieces in pear shape. Tharaud, btw released a very nice Satie album a few years ago: My top recommendation for a recording of Satie's piano music would be this, sadly oop box - Barbier learned the music under tutelage from an acquaintance of Satie:

Dear Friends – Tony Hakim, Dallas treasure and owner of the beloved music venue and restaurant The Kitchen Cafe, was diagnosed with cancer a month ago and is facing a long road to recovery. For 15 years, Tony and his partner Lisa Reichenbach have brought music, love, laughter, and people together at The Kitchen, creating a beautiful haven of togetherness and joy for musicians and audiences. Now, we need your help to keep this special place alive during this critical time. Please give what you can and help spread the word. https://kitchencafedallas.com It's a nice place, with good sound. In addition to local talents like Shelley Carrol, Stockton Helbring, and Quamon Fowler, I've seen Marvin Stamm there several times, as well as the Eddie Gomez Trio and Pete Christlieb.

Neither the original liner notes (which just say that the title was inspired by comedian Flip Wilson who was a follower of the band) nor those on the later twofer reissue discuss the changes of the tune, but composer Marty Sheller just might have heard or most probably kept track of the jazz scene of the time and picked up the inspiration - which is not that unusual. Dozens of jazz musicians picked up the changes from Morton Gould's Pavane as Coltrane did, and Jazz Messengers and other hard bop formulars were common language. Actually Marty Sheller's tunes on that LP are the jazziest. He was underrated as a trumpet player pigeonholed as a Latin player, even more after he had to give up the trumpet after a fighting incident that cost him some teeth. I can't see anything unusual in this combination of things - common jazz lingo. Unusual is the insertion of a passage with Afro-Cuban bembé rhythm for Mongo to solo on - this kind of rhythmic switch between gooves was first done by Cal Tjader and Dave Brubeck in their trio, then continued by Tjader and then probably picked up by Mongo while he was in Tjader's band. Very very few arrangements like this before 1960.