JSngry

After the Cellar Door fiasco, Gregory's comments about the "estate" ring true...

Speaking of Sonny, uh, Melba Toast, sorry, LISTON, I came across a record yesterday that had two of her arrangements on it. It was the Herbie Mann/Tamiko Jones Atlantic side, and it also had three arrangements by Joe Zawinul, and it was only $1.00 (American). It's a pretty crappy record really, and the "arrangements", which I had hoped would be be big band/orchestral actually seem to be rhythm section sketches. But that led me to wonder how much of this type of "strictly for the bucks" work Melba did. Chris' story about Eddie Fisher leads me to think that maybe she did her fair share of it. You think about it, her jazz arranging credits aren't really all that extensive in number, at least not in comparison to some, yet she remained on the scene for a good long time. She had to be doing something to make some bread, no? It was a good time to be a competent (and Melba was certainly more than that!) arranger. Everything and everybody wanted/needed music for every situation and somebody had to write it. Nowadays, it's home studios and one man operations. Cat sits down at his synths and crafts whatever you want all by his lonesome. He's somposer, arranger, and performer all in one. Cost to the client for the overall job goes down, even if the one guy makes more money for himself than he used to make just doing one job. Anyway... I wonder how many TV commercials, educational films, rock records with little incidental horn parts, fashion shows, demo records, etc. were the product of writers like Melba Liston who were great jazz arrangers but took other type work to pay the bills. That's probably something we'll never know.

Be patient. God is not finished with me yet.

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Ray Davies Man Ray Mandrake the Magician

Such a part of my youth, first Barney, then the movies. I remember back when Comedy Central used to have B&W Sundays and the old Steve Allen Show was part of the programming. It amazed me to see a relatively urbane Don Knotts. So long.

Little Lulu Bill Evans Yusef Lateef

That's a question for your ears to answer. i can't tell any difference. Then keep both until you can, then cull. Win-win!

Lee May George Will Immanuel Kant

Mavs had no business being 24 down in the 3rd, but as long as they were, they might as well go ahead and win in OT. This coming from behind crap is getting old, though. Avery's gotta put his foot up sombody's ass(es) to stop it. And he no doubt will.

That's a question for your ears to answer.

True, but the world around it does, so it's really like drinking from The Fountain of Youth.

I'm quite fond of Blue Moses myself. It's got that CTI production thing goin' on, but it's still Weston through and through.

Eddie Money Money Johnson Dirk Diggler

Billy Preston Don Preston Eddie Preston

The Ravens were BAAAAAAD!

Sorry, but the sound on the Left Bank stuff doesn't bother me at all. I've heard, and enjoyed, far worse...

Yeah, I think it's got a "populist" flavor to it, and I'm ok with that. It's not like they dumbed down either the playing or the material, they just presented the music in a different format as far as arrangements and soloists go. Of course, Bobby's center stage all the way, but think about it - that's what the "general public" likes to be presented with, an identifiable "focal point", a "name" to put to the music. It's my understanding that the Hutcherson/Land band was actually pretty popular up and down the Pacific Coast in the late 60s/early 70s, so BN was no doubt trying to expand that popularity into something less regional. This was a time when such things were possible, and Bobby probably wanted it too, seeing some of the later albums he made for the label. Some of those albums, like Montara & San Francisco were obviously aimed at reaching a broader market, and actually achieved that goal (although neither really do too much for me, even though for some San Francisco is a stone classic), and others, like Natural Illusions didn't. And some of them, like Waiting just tend to fall flat to my ears. There's no real "there" there, if you know what I mean, even though none of them are truly bad. But Cirrus works for me. Good tunes and good playing by everybody, no matter how the solos are allocated. I just wish it had been recorded/mixed with more of an "up front" quality. Mileages, though obviously vary on that. The one that's a real trip is Head On, where Hutcherson let Bayete Todd Cochrane have his head. As on Hadley Calliman's Iapetus the results are pretty unorthodox, moreso actually. And yet again, the thing is not recorded/mixed in a way that favors the music being played. Blame the producer, George Butler, I guess. Pretty sure that one didn't do too well at all.

Von Freeman Young & Foolish

Theodore J. Mooney Harrison Carter Curtis McGibbon

"Hey Bubba, Reebok!" - - Tag line for a commercial trying to sell athletic shoes to redneck Lionel Hampton fans

Charlie Wilson Harold Wilson Billy Graham

Actually he was, but "Colonel" Tom was really his uncle, so you can see where adjustments would be needed to be made.

Another fine Weston/Liston collaboration is Tanjah. I bought the Polydor LP back in the day, but now I see that the now-OOP CD had alterante takes included. If only I had known...

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