Free For All

I was just speculating- you're absolutely right, Larry, I'm sure an artist like Stravinsky would take pride in anything with his name on it. I also have been listening to it (to refresh my memory) and it is certainly a structurally sound piece with much fantastic detail- it just has always seemed (to me) that it kind of rushed through its narration. But that's just my take. I also think that in many performances (including the one in which I participated) an expressive interpretation was perhaps not fully realized- the players were trying to get the notes right without really understanding the meaning of it all. Of course it always helps to have guidance/direction from someone who has an understanding of the piece. I do love pretty much everything Stravinsky did- he certainly developed his own language. If I were to select his "jazz equivalents" I'd choose Gil Evans and Monk. Thanks for all the great info Larry!

I know what you mean. I faithfully dust these off once a year (more for social gatherings than my own listening), load up the CD player and hit the "random" cycle. And by the time the holidays are over I'm more than ready to put 'em away (I have a special storage section reserved so I don't have to see them again until next year ). I think our general aversion to holiday music exists mostly because it's EVERYWHERE you go, you can't escape it, and even a "hip" jazz version doesn't make it much more palatable. And it's already begun. I'm already hearing it on TV and in stores. EDIT: Don't get me wrong, I'm not without a sentimental nostalgic side .

Not sure if this one is still in print, but I've always enjoyed it. Dexter, McCoy, Arthur Blythe, Heath Bros., Wynton et al. EDIT: Apparently it's not currently in print. I could only find it at Amazon for a hefty collector's price. Too bad. I see this one is available now. I've not heard it- how does it compare to Christmas Cookin'? I'm also kind of curious about the Krall and Monheit Christmas CDs.

H a P p Y b I r T h D a Y g R e G ! ! ! And many more! Have a great day!

That's a fair assessment, John. I also think the piece is in many ways less than satisfying, almost incomplete, and if I may speculate for a moment I'd guess that Stravinsky maybe didn't spend a whole lot of time on this "freebie". That being said, even half-assed Stravinsky is pretty good stuff! It's an anomaly, a historic event to be sure, a simultaneously bizarre and endearing little piece, but most likely not one that will ever be considered a great example of "third stream" experiments. I think City of Glass kicks its ass in that respect (OK, back on topic now ). I think a general thread on these types of pieces might be interesting given the knowledgeable and articulate experts in the house.

Yes, we did play in Orchestra Hall in Chicago, which was fun because I've attended many great CSO concerts there, including my first time in the 70s when I heard them play Holst's Planets, which needless to say left quite an impression. We also played orchestra venues in Boston, Cleveland and some other cities. It was interesting to observe the audiences' reaction to Ebony. They frequently seemed stunned after hearing this odd little piece in the midst of a swinging big band concert. And yes, there was a palpable sense of relief when the band returned to the traditional big band format. I'm sure most would say they enjoyed it (although for many probably because it wouldn't be "hip" to not like Stravinsky) but I think many people's impression of the piece was neutral. I think even though Stravinsky did listen to the band, the end result was a Stravinsky piece that just happened to be performed by Woody Herman and the Herd. It really could have been done by any of the bands at the time. I would have liked to have heard Artie Shaw's band play it.

Nice pic- check out that right hand voicing; what is that, a triad? Damn! And the beverage remains undisturbed.

Larry's post explained it very well. It's not a "jazz piece" in any sense of traditional big band music. It doesn't swing and it's not supposed to- it's almost cartoon music at times. There are elements of jazz in it, but really nothing you wouldn't already find in any other Stravinsky composition. It's a weird example of "when worlds collide", but Stravinsky's persona emerges unscathed with few if any "Woody" elements assimilated into the piece, other than the clarinet being featured. That being said, I think the band eventually really enjoyed playing the piece. We did a tour with Stoltzman, playing in several orchestral venues that we would otherwise have never set foot in. After playing Ebony night after night the band started to settle in and relax a bit and the piece really started to make sense. It was an odd tour since Stoltzman isn't really a jazz player- the idea for the tour was his and he made a lot of the gigs happen. He had been hanging out w/Woody and I expect the idea came up, probably much in the same way that Woody and Stravinsky decided to collaborate after many nights of hanging out and drinking in Hollywood (Woody was at a peak of popularity at that time, and I think Stravinsky had a fascination with hanging out with the "beautiful people" of the moment). Although, as I said, it wasn't really much of "collaboration"- it was Stravinsky all the way. When the 40s Herd started to learn the piece they were doing a long-term gig at the Paramount in NYC, and they would rehearse between sets. I don't think reading music (especially Stravinksy's!) was that band's strongest point, and I guess the rehearsals progressed very slowly (Stravinsky himself was rehearsing the band!). BTW, I like Ebony a lot. It's wacky and quirky and contains Stravinsky's typical attention to detail and the marvelous grasp of orchestration that I associate with Gil Evans. Around the time we did the tour, I was finishing up a Master's degree and had to write a paper on a Stravinsky piece, so I chose Ebony. I think doing an analysis and gaining a general understanding of the music helped me to appreciate it a lot more when it came time to perform it. Yeah, Mike, we were pissed that there were no band credits on the RCA recording. I need to double check on the personnel to be sure.

Just FYI, when I was on the band we made a recording of Ebony for RCA with Richard Stoltzman playing the clarinet part (this was in 1987).

h A p P y B i R t H d A y c A t E s T a ! ! ! Hope you have a great day!

Ah shucks, this is going to drive me nuts. I remember the sound effects when the 6 Million Dollar Man runs fast (always in slow motion), or the sound that his bionic eye makes when it zooms in, but I can't for the life of me remember what the theme sounded like while the "we can rebuild him" narration was spoken over it. Must search for sound samples! I just happened to spin Soul Message yesterday too. ← Click here and scroll down the page for the theme music Not a whole lot to it, really. Most of the theme is taken up by the narration.

Oh ye who already have it and revel in taunting us mere mortals!

Damn straight!

You know what? Screw it. If it comes out, great. If not, to hell with it. I've still got plenty of good Miles to listen to. I'm still letting my CDUniverse $38 order ride, though.

Is it pronounced "Guy" or "Gee" (with the "g" as in "go")?

What, did you show her your moosehood?

We just changed our billing to the year-round-same-rate plan. We'll be paying through the summer, but at least there will be no major shocks. Fortunately, here in KC the winters are fairly mild. I feel for the extreme northern folk.

J'espère que vous avez un joyeux anniversaire, et beaucoup plus! Et mercis des listes tous ces enregistrements!

Well then they'd better get a move on and quit looking at the pretty flowers!

Sox win! Countdown to jazzypaul in cap-lock has begun. 5.....4....3....2....

So I was wondering- do Cubs fans root for or against the White Sox? What is the "ettiquitte" in this situation? I would hope that a special occasion like the World Series might at least temporarily unite the North and South side baseball fans. yours for a united Chicago, FFA