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Michel Legrand - RIP


EKE BBB

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Seems like musicians like Legrand hardly exist any more, that particular combination of talents and the ways that he put them to use.

So sorry to hear this news. R.I.P.

I'll give Legrand's wonderful collaboration with Stan Getz, Communication '72, a spin this weekend in his honor.

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I'll never forget seeing him at Carnegie Hall with Phil Woods. He featured Phil on "You Must Remember Spring", and the entire place went into paroxysms of ecstasy, as we all leaped to our feet screaming with joy. Legrand and Woods pulled it off again on the title cut of their album "Images". He had a way of writing for PW that led to frenzied climaxes that were like nothing else in music of any kind. RIP, Michel...

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6 minutes ago, sgcim said:

I'll never forget seeing him at Carnegie Hall with Phil Woods. He featured Phil on "You Must Remember Spring", and the entire place went into paroxysms of ecstasy, as we all leaped to our feet screaming with joy. Legrand and Woods pulled it off again on the title cut of their album "Images". He had a way of writing for PW that led to frenzied climaxes that were like nothing else in music of any kind. RIP, Michel...

Well put ....

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1 hour ago, sgcim said:

I'll never forget seeing him at Carnegie Hall with Phil Woods. He featured Phil on "You Must Remember Spring", and the entire place went into paroxysms of ecstasy, as we all leaped to our feet screaming with joy. Legrand and Woods pulled it off again on the title cut of their album "Images". He had a way of writing for PW that led to frenzied climaxes that were like nothing else in music of any kind. RIP, Michel...

I am listening to the various artists disc in the Legrand/Demy box set and this track came on just as I finished reading your post!!!!

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I may own more albums by Legrand than any other artist.

As someone who loves jazz, film music, and EZ/mood music/space-age bachelor, and the Now Sound, I sometimes think that even some seasoned listeners don't really have a handle on the vastness of Legrand's skills and contributions.  Some of my jazz friends think Legrand was a jazz dabbler.  Film music fans in the US often consider Legrand second- or third-tier, because he never composed a Williams/Goldsmith kind of score for a Spielberg blockbuster.  Legrand was a brilliant composer, arranger, pianist, songwriter, even singer, in numerous styles and genres. Along with Bacharach, Jobim, and Mancini, he epitomizes for me the 1960s, especially the international jet-set aesthetic.  Maybe sgcim would agree, as I know he shares my love of film music. 

Edited by Teasing the Korean
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On 1/26/2019 at 9:00 AM, Teasing the Korean said:

A genius, and the only artist of whom I own three different box sets.

I have to confess I'm entirely unaware of these Legrand box sets.  Can you or someone provide links to them from somewhere like discogs? - or some other quick-to-peruse way to wrap my head around what albums and/or time-frame they each include?  (Thanks in advance!)

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2 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I have to confess I'm entirely unaware of these Legrand box sets.  Can you or someone provide links to them from somewhere like discogs? - or some other quick-to-peruse way to wrap my head around what albums and/or time-frame they each include?  (Thanks in advance!)

The Anthology, which I believe has 15 discs, is I believe out of print.

https://www.amazon.com/Anthology-Michel-Legrand/dp/B00F570JN6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1548634137&sr=1-1&keywords=legrand+anthology

I also have the Legrand/Demy box set:

https://www.amazon.fr/Intégrale-Michel-Legrand-Jacques-Coffret/dp/B00B2HQYBE/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1548634186&sr=1-2&keywords=legrand+demy

and the Cinema box set, which may also be out of print, based on the price: 

https://www.amazon.com/Cinema-Michel-Legrand/dp/B0009F7FPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1548633990&sr=1-1&keywords=cinema+michel+legrand

 

Edited by Teasing the Korean
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2 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

There's also a companion disc of sorts to the Cinema box set that focuses on the French New Wave:

Le Cinéma De Michel Legrand Nouvelle Vague

I had not seen the Anthology previously (I have the Legrand/Demy and Cinema sets) - it looks like a great set, but those asking prices are a non-starter.

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9 hours ago, Dave Garrett said:

There's also a companion disc of sorts to the Cinema box set that focuses on the French New Wave:

Le Cinéma De Michel Legrand Nouvelle Vague

I had not seen the Anthology previously (I have the Legrand/Demy and Cinema sets) - it looks like a great set, but those asking prices are a non-starter.

Yes, I have that!

What is frustrating about the box sets is they all contain music that is not available elsewhere.  

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11 hours ago, GA Russell said:

RIP.  I received the DVD of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort for Christmas, so maybe I'll watch it this week.

PS - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001AQYPMM/

Watched this film a couple of weeks ago when it came up on TV and found it unbearable and impossible to watch to the end - though I love the period flair/aesthetic of many French movies from the 50s/60s. Michel Piccoli lipsyncing and pretending to be singing - holeee sheeettt! :huh: And this was just the tip of the iceberg (but maybe what pushed the movie over the edge for me). It wasn't the fault of Michel Legrand's basic score, though ...

BTW, how come nobody has mentioned this one yet? ;) (a 5-ar DB item, IIRC)

https://www.discogs.com/de/Michel-Legrand-Legrand-Jazz/release/783641

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legrand_Jazz

 

 

 

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21 minutes ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Watched this film a couple of weeks ago when it came up on TV and found it unbearable and impossible to watch to the end - though I love the period flair/aesthetic of many French movies from the 50s/60s. Michel Piccoli lipsyncing and pretending to be singing - holeee sheeettt! :huh: And this was just the tip of the iceberg (but maybe what pushed the movie over the edge for me). It wasn't the fault of Michel Legrand's basic score, though ...

BTW, how come nobody has mentioned this one yet? ;) (a 5-ar DB item, IIRC)

https://www.discogs.com/de/Michel-Legrand-Legrand-Jazz/release/783641

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legrand_Jazz

I love Legrand's instrumental version of this album.  In the US, it was released on a United Artists LP.  It is part of the aforementioned Demy box set on CD, but I don't know if it has ever had a decent stand-alone release.

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