A little help please.....

[Free For All]

Hey all,

I'm in the process of applying for a summer grant that FSU offers to first year faculty members. For my project proposal I was thinking about writing some new arrangements for big band (possibly a future recording project), and choosing tunes by musicians associated w/Florida, who were either from here (like Cannonball) or spent a lot of time here (like Sam Rivers, who I believe was actually born in Oklahoma). Those two alone provide lots of possibilities.

Some others who have come to mind:

Jaco

Eddie Higgins

Ira Sullivan (I know Ira primarily as a player, I'm not aware if he's written many tunes)

I'm sure there are many who I'm not thinking of. Did GoM ever do a show on this topic?

I was hoping that you folks might have some suggestions. Dan maybe?

Thanks, I appreciate your help!

[Jim Alfredson]

Didn't Nat Adderly teach down there for a long time?

[Free For All]

I know Cannonball did. Did Nat also teach?

[Jim Alfredson]

Yes, I'm pretty sure he did at one of the universities down there. For a long time, too.

[Free For All]

I just learned that the Adderley brothers were actually born in Tampa, but they're both buried here in Tallahassee.

[Chas]

Another native who comes to mind is Blue Mitchell .

Lots of transplants I would imagine , though the only ones who come to mind right now are Flip Phillips and Wally Cirillo .

[Free For All]

Another native who comes to mind is Blue Mitchell .

Lots of transplants I would imagine , though the only ones who come to mind right now are Flip Phillips and Wally Cirillo .

Blue Mitchell! I did not know that.

I'm feeling an arrangement of Fungii Mama coming on! Thanks Chas!

[White Lightning]

I believe Flip Phillips lived his last decade or so in Florida. An excuse for some fiery Perdido arrangement maybe? Also Herman's "Lost Weekend" and "1-2-3-4-Jump" is by Flip, I think.

[Free For All]

I believe Flip Phillips lived his last decade or so in Florida. An excuse for some fiery Perdido arrangement maybe? Also Herman's "Lost Weekend" and "1-2-3-4-Jump" is by Flip, I think.

Thanks B! Maybe a chart on Perdido featuring a sax soli harmonization of a Flip solo........

[brownie]

Allen Eager settled in Florida in the 60s and resided there until his death in 2003.

[marcello]

Sam Jones was from Jacksonville.

I have a nice tape of the Sam Jones/Tom Harrell Big Band.

Charles Tolliver was born in Jacksonville. Moved to NYC when he was 10.

Gigi Gryce was born in Pensacola! He's buried there.

Fats Navarro was from Key West.

[Dan Gould]

Paul, I don't think Eddie Higgins is too much of a composer so I don't think there would be many options there. Not sure about Ira, we both think of him more as a player but ... on the other hand, I think some big band arrangements of a Gigi Gryce tune or two could be very cool. It looks like you'd have quite a few options just based on the suggestions so far.

Good luck!

[Joe G]

Doesn't Dr. Lonnie Smith live in Tampa?

Move yo hands, 'cause I can't see

[Dan Gould]

Doesn't Dr. Lonnie Smith live in Tampa?

Move yo hands, 'cause I can't see

He lived in Fort Lauderdale, last I knew, but that was a few years ago.

[paul secor]

Ray Charles was born in Georgia, but his family moved to Florida when he was an infant, and he got his earliest musical training at a school for the blind in St. Augustine, Fl. An arrangement of an early Ray tune might be a nice change up and fit in with more jazz oriented material.

[Chas]

Pretty obscure I know , but trombonist/arranger Lon Norman was Miami-based in the Fifties .

[Jim Alfredson]

The Turbanator is still based in Ft. Lauderdale. Like Joe, I want to hear a big band version of "Move Your Hand" with Paul singing the lead vocal!

[NaturalSoul]

Willis 'Gator Tail' Jackson is from Miami, i believe.

[Free For All]

Just submitted it. Whew....

Thanks for all the help everyone. After some mentoring I ended up going a little different direction, but my main intent is still to write a bunch of new music, it's just that it will be original tunes instead of arrangements. I'll find out in January if I get it or not.

The biggest challenege was to format it correctly and describe everything in that academic-speak. They're very picky about how you submit everything. I'm just glad to have the opportunity to apply- it will be a pretty sweet deal if it comes through.

Edited November 9, 2007 by Free For All