big bands swingin' with strings

[ghost of miles]

I'm putting together a show about Artie Shaw's two swing-with-strings bands, based around the Hep CDs IN THE BEGINNING (the 1936 band w/string quartet) and EVENSONG (the 1940-41 band). Outside of Krupa's brief experiment circa 1944-45 and Kenton's CITY OF GLASS recordings, what other big bands augmented themselves with strings? I'm also trying to think of one-off projects like THE SYMPHONIC ELLINGTON, one of my favorite Reprise works by the Duke.

Highly recommend the Shaw EVENSONG to anybody interested in this kind of sound.

Edited April 16, 2004 by ghost of miles

[JSngry]

Dorsey, but it sucked.

[JSngry]

But then again, I've never "gotten" the Tommy Dorsey band.

[JSngry]

Tolliver's Music Inc. bib band used strings on IMPACT.

[ghost of miles]

But then again, I've never "gotten" the Tommy Dorsey band.

Neither have I!

I have a friend who loves 'em to death, but I just--man, I can't bring myself to pick up a Dorsey CD. They don't push any buttons for me, or rather, they push the wrong ones. I've never sat down and tried to analyze why, but I really recoil from that band for some reason.

[JSngry]

Oliver Nelson did a few projects w/big band & strings.

Oliver Nelson was BAAAAAD.

[ghost of miles]

Tolliver's Music Inc. bib band used strings on IMPACT.

That sounds extremely cool & promising. I have only the MUSIC INC. BIG BAND CD from 1971; bought it recently from a board member and have spun it only once, but I liked it a lot.

Listening to EVENSONG right now, which has the Paul Jordan proto-Third Stream numbers "Dusk" and "Suite No. 8." One of my faves, though, is "Take Your Shoes Off, Baby," with Hot Lips Page on vocals.

[ghost of miles]

Oliver Nelson did a few projects w/big band & strings.

Oliver Nelson was BAAAAAD.

I did a big-band show on Nelson last year, but I don't remember including any sides with strings... either I've forgotten or I didn't search hard enough!

His son lives in Indpls., I think, and occasionally shows up in Bloomington for jazz gigs. I'd love to talk with him sometime.

[JSngry]

But then again, I've never "gotten" the Tommy Dorsey band.

Neither have I!

I have a friend who loves 'em to death, but I just--man, I can't bring myself to pick up a Dorsey CD. They don't push any buttons for me, or rather, they push the wrong ones. I've never sat down and tried to analyze why, but I really recoil from that band for some reason.

Yeah, I her you. Even with all the great players he had on board, and all the great charts (Sy Oliver's in particular, but also Paul Weston, Axel Stordahl, and a cast of others as well) that band always sounded corporate to me. It's a band that sounds good but doesn't feel good. Then again, it doesn't feel bad either. It just DOESN'T feel, and that's the problem, at least to me. Impeccable product, but still product uber alles.

Still, I'd give anything to spend a month or so with that band when Sinatra & Buddy Rich were both on it. I think that might have been, uh..., interesting.

[Rooster_Ties]

I was gonna mention the Tolliver disc too, but Sangry beat me to it.

This probably isn't what you're looking for, but for what it's worth - there was a one-off concert that Sun Ra did with strings, probably in the mid 80's or so. About a dozen string players, if I remember right. I'm pretty sure it's on Leo, and the AMG review of another (different) Sun Ra disc mentions that the Leo release "Pleiades" has about a dozen French symphony musicians on it, so I'm guessing that's the one. (No AMG review for "Pleiades" - however.)

No time to check up on it now, I'll look again later tonight.

[JSngry]

Been years since I heard it, but I think that Pat Williams THRESHOLD album was a kind of bigband/strings job. Not necessarily "jazz", but Williams is a really interesting writer of whatever the hell genre he writes in ("hip commercial jazzpop", maybe?).

And surely Gary McFarland did something along these lines?!?!?!?!?

[John L]

I am a fan of Blue Mitchell's Smooth as the Wind. Orchestra and strings with arrangements by Tadd Dameron and Benny Golson.

[SGUD missile]

Been years since I heard it, but I think that Pat Williams THRESHOLD album was a kind of bigband/strings job. Not necessarily "jazz", but Williams is a really interesting writer of whatever the hell genre he writes in ("hip commercial jazzpop", maybe?).

And surely Gary McFarland did something along these lines?!?!?!?!?

Along the same lines, Pat Williams also did a side with the London SO entitled "American Concerto " in the late 70s that was quite good ..

You might investigate some of the Don Sebesky things like " Firebird/Birds of Fire ..where he sosmehow manages to combine the Stravinsky work with the Jimi Hendrix piece ..Sebesky has done several CDs along these lines ..

Also, Bill Holman and Pete Christlieb have done several things with the Metropole Orchestra that are quite interesting ..( possibly not realeased ..I have some air checks ) There are many other Metropole Orch CDs that fit this category as well

Along the Williams line, Dave Grusin has done many jazz /w orch type film scores ..i.e. Three Days of the Condor, Mulholland Falls etc ...

And then, theres Claus Ogermans/ Mike Breckers "Ciutyscape " ..

[Pete C]

Not a working band, but there is the Bird with big band and strings session that produced Autumn in New York & other tunes.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Orchestra U.S.A. - is it a big band with strings or an orchestra [2 string quartets, actually] including saxophones and a rhythm section? You're both right! It's a floor wax and a non-dairy topping. See my website.

Mike

[Noj]

It's a floor wax you hag!

[JSngry]

[garthsj]

It should be pointed out that Stan Kenton's experiments with strings went way beyond THE CITY OF GLASS. The Innovations Orchestra played featured a string section as a regular part of the "sound" of that music.

Also, there are some wonderful things with strings, arranged by Alan Broadbent, on Charlie Haden's Quartet West recordings.