Randy Weston Mosaic Select running low?

[marcoliv]

Blue Moses

[Ron S]

What I'm really hoping is that my editor will agree to let me interview Randy.

If you do, be sure to ask him if there's any truth to the rumor that, because of a mix-up, he once had a "session" with Sonny Liston:

I've heard that Randy KO'd him in the first round.

[paul secor]

What I'm really hoping is that my editor will agree to let me interview Randy.

If you do, be sure to ask him if there's any truth to the rumor that, because of a mix-up, he once had a "session" with Sonny Liston:

I've heard that Randy KO'd him in the first round.

Don't know if this is a joke or not.

I can't imagine a pianist boxing and risking damage to his hands and fingers. I know that Red Garland and Jack Dupree boxed before they became professional musians, but don't believe they did so afterward. I also can't imagine a non professional knocking out someone who became a heavyweight champion. Tell us more.

[Ron S]

Sorry, just a dumb joke that came to me while reading the Melba Liston references in this thread and knowing the popularity of Weston's collaborations with her (I tried to indicate that it was in jest by saying it was because of a mix-up and italicizing "Sonny"). The first-round KO reference alludes to Sonny Liston's second match with Ali, which ended thusly. I guess the humor was a bit too dry for a Sunday morning.

[JSngry]

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.

[paul secor]

Sorry, just a dumb joke that came to me while reading the Melba Liston references in this thread and knowing the popularity of Weston's collaborations with her (I tried to indicate that it was in jest by saying it was because of a mix-up and italicizing "Sonny"). The first-round KO reference alludes to Sonny Liston's second match with Ali, which ended thusly. I guess the humor was a bit too dry for a Sunday morning.

I should have read the earlier posts - might have caught on. Then again, maybe not.

Edited February 26, 2006 by paul secor

[Kalo]

Does anyone know if Sonny and Melba were related? It doesn't seem like that common a name.

[robviti]

Does anyone know if Sonny and Melba were related? It doesn't seem like that common a name.

the name "liston" has norman origins. one family's website claims there are in excess of 8,000 listons in the world today. btw, melba was from kansas city, sonny from arkansas.

[connoisseur series500]

I don't care for the third cd in the set at all. But those first two are terrific.

Melba Liston's arrangements are awesome!!

[Ron S]

I don't care for the third cd in the set at all. But those first two are terrific.

Melba Liston's arrangements are awesome!!

I'm with you (believe it or not ), and the second disc is the real standout for me.

[Chuck Nessa]

I've loved the Colpix date since I first got it in the '60s. "Highlife" is still one of my favorite Westons after all these years!

[sidewinder]

I don't care for the third cd in the set at all. But those first two are terrific.

Melba Liston's arrangements are awesome!!

Did Melba do the horn arrangements for Freddie Hobbard's 'Hub Cap'? Those arrangements are awesome and sound very much like her style with the close, subtle harmonies. There's a picture of her on the LP in the studio at this session with Randy Weston so looks as if this is a strong possibility.