king ubu Posted July 24, 2004 Report Posted July 24, 2004 How about Gunther Schuller? Haven't heard much of his work, but some of the stuff on that strange Lovano third stream disc is GREAT! And he's the man who did Mingus' "Epitaph", too, so he can't be too bad. Also in the liners of the Miles/Gil box, there's a quote about George Avakian proposing two arrangers to do what would turn out to be "Miles Ahead" - Gil Evans or Gunther Schuller. ubu Quote
king ubu Posted July 24, 2004 Report Posted July 24, 2004 André Hodeir Yes indeed! His JiP releases are great! Quote
frank m Posted July 24, 2004 Report Posted July 24, 2004 Michael Fitzgerald-----yes indeed- he kept busy. Wow. Many thanks for that article. Quote
SGUD missile Posted July 24, 2004 Report Posted July 24, 2004 (edited) I still need to check out Farnon, Phil. I keep hearing words of the highest praise from too many people I respect to let him go unexplored too much longer! JS: Approach Farnon a bit differently that as a "pure" jazz arranger ..what Bob has done has covered a very wide span through his 86 years ( and he's just finished his 3rd Symphony ) What Bob is is simply the finest arranger of pop orchestral music in the world ..He's been "stolen " from by all of the best: John Mandel, John Williams, Marion Evans, Torrie Zito, Ogermann, Pat Williams, Morton Stevens, Sandy Courage,plus many many more ( including my self ) NO ONE writes for strings like Farnon ..we all stole from him ..and yes, he can write jazz as well: ( check out TANGENCE w/ J.J. Johnson if you can find it ) For more info, google the Robert Farnon Society for lots of info, recordings , and news !! Edited July 25, 2004 by SGUD missile Quote
Late Posted July 25, 2004 Author Report Posted July 25, 2004 I was talking to a local musician and arranger at a record shop here about a year ago, and he started in on Holman's Monk charts and more recent work, and he told me that on one of Holman's charts (and now of course I can't remember which one) there was a chord that used 11 pitches, with only Bb left out — which meant, octave aside, that every tempered pitch in the chromatic scale was used. I would like to hear that! Missile — that's a lot of names! Care to share any representative albums? Always good to keep an eye out for recommended stuff. Quote
DIS Posted July 26, 2004 Report Posted July 26, 2004 An 11-tone chord? That must have been "Grandpa's Spells." Oops, my mind's slipping of late. That tune was from the '20s. Quote
LarryCurleyMoe Posted July 26, 2004 Report Posted July 26, 2004 (edited) A few of my favorites- IN ADDITION to most others listed! Clare Fischer Thad Jones Gordon Goodwin Billy May Maria Schneider BOB FLORENCE!!!! Oliver Nelson Bob Brookmeyer Marty Paich Neal Hefti Bill Holman Gerald Wilson Nelson Riddle I have just started on the road to (big band) arranging myself - In past year I have completed 2 big band arrangements ("Here's that Rainy Day" & "Easy Living") 3 combo charts ("Witchcraft," "Night has 1000 Eyes," and "Have You Met Miss Jones"). Have also completed 1 original big band chart and have started another. Have got to say - no other musical thrill greater for me than to write JAZZ for 17-18 players/groups/families of instruments- solis/tuttis, etc. Really a unique "high"!!! Edited July 26, 2004 by LarryCurleyMoe Quote
SGUD missile Posted July 26, 2004 Report Posted July 26, 2004 I have just started on the road to (big band) arranging myself - In past year I have completed 2 big band arrangements ("Here's that Rainy Day" & "Easy Living") 3 combo charts ("Witchcraft," "Night has 1000 Eyes," and "Have You Met Miss Jones"). Have also completed 1 original big band chart and have started another. Have got to say - no other musical thrill greater for me than to write JAZZ for 17-18 players/groups/families of instruments- solis/tuttis, etc. Really a unique "high"!!! Good luck with your endeavors! There is no thrill like hearing a big group of musicians play your stuff back atyou the first time! That's one of the main reasons that after almost 40 years as a writer in thecommercial TV/ film business ..I took up writing big band stuff again as a "retiremnt " project ..a hobby actually and also why I recorded ( and paid for ) a CD as well!! as long as there are guys like you that get enjoyment out of the process, the medium will never die, IMO phil kelly www.philkellymusic.com Quote
LarryCurleyMoe Posted July 27, 2004 Report Posted July 27, 2004 Thanks Phil! ...Arranging also causes me to have a greater respect for all the folks who are listed in this thread - all those who produced wonderful jazz for large ensembles (and who took the risk associated with maintaing a career centered around this kind of musical activity). It's so cool that cats like Gerald Wilson are still inking charts!!!! Arranging jazz music for big band also opens my ears and brain while listening to bands live or recorded...orchestration by Thad, for example, is quite different than that of Billy May - plus voicings of chords, upper chord extensions, doublings, the use of rhythm, melody, line...all make a difference! Above all, I find clarity of thought and appropriately economical use of music material are traits of the truly great composers/arrangers - easy to say, more difficult to practice! Publication of my efforts does serve as some incentive...UNC Jazz Press is considering now...important to me that the music doesn't lie dormant! Good luck with your writing as well! If you're like me, you'll always have a chart "in progress" no matter what else you may be into at the time...you're right - it would make a cool "hobby" too! Quote
Late Posted July 12, 2008 Author Report Posted July 12, 2008 Would you consider John Carisi an "arranger"? The RCA/Bluebird compact disc "The Arrangers" is fantastic, featuring compositions and arrangements by Gil Evans, George Russell, Carisi, and Rod Levitt. Was any of that music out originally on vinyl? I'd like to see the LP cover art if so ... Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted July 12, 2008 Report Posted July 12, 2008 These days I'm more interested in arrangers than individual instrumentalists. Among my favorites - and I know I'm leaving out some: Andre Hodeir Ellington/Strahhorn Chico O'Farrill Lalo Schifrin Pete Rugolo Oliver Nelson The guys known as Quincy Jones Gerald Wilson Michel Legrand Les Baxter Henry Mancini Neal Hefti Clare Fischer Don Sebeskey Claus Ogerman Deodato Quote
AllenLowe Posted July 12, 2008 Report Posted July 12, 2008 (edited) the best large group writing of the last 20 years was the big band recording Julius Hemphill made for Nonesuch - this is not a matter of opinion but of absolute fact - if you don't agree please don't post, as this is now MY thread - moderators, please delete all opposing opinions - Edited July 12, 2008 by AllenLowe Quote
SGUD missile Posted July 12, 2008 Report Posted July 12, 2008 the best large group writing of the last 20 years was the big band recording Julius Hemphill made for Nonesuch - this is not a matter of opinion but of absolute fact - if you don't agree please don't post, as this is now MY thread - moderators, please delete all opposing opinions - I assume this is your cyberattempt at sardonic humor -yes? BTW: Larry Curly Moe: I released my second CD ( this time with a great LA A Team band ) called "My Museum" - again on Origin records. It was picked as one of the top 50 jazz CDs 0f 2007 by JazzTimes magazine! I'm currently at work on CD#3 - ( although the prevailing economic scenario has made assembling the production bread a bit harder this time ) You can check out samples of both CDs on both my website and the Origin website. Phil Kelly www.philkellymusic.com NW Prevailing Winds SW Santa Ana Winds Origin Records Quote
Larry Kart Posted July 12, 2008 Report Posted July 12, 2008 Would you consider John Carisi an "arranger"? The RCA/Bluebird compact disc "The Arrangers" is fantastic, featuring compositions and arrangements by Gil Evans, George Russell, Carisi, and Rod Levitt. Was any of that music out originally on vinyl? I'd like to see the LP cover art if so ... Except for the Carisi material (previously unreleased), all of it was out on LP -- Russell's and Evans's on Hal McKusick's Jazz Workshop LP on RCA, Levitt's on his own RCA LPs (there were three IIRC). The Levitt albums would be a nice Mosaic Select, but I believe that Mosaic feels there would little market for it, very few people even knowing who Levitt was. Quote
AllenLowe Posted July 12, 2008 Report Posted July 12, 2008 (edited) yes, Carisi, not to forget Angkor Watt - Carisi was surprising un-frustrated when I knew him a few years before he died, I always asked him, "John, don't you feel the need to do more writing?" but he was happy playing society gigs - guess he figured it was time to relax and just make a living - Edited July 12, 2008 by AllenLowe Quote
AllenLowe Posted July 12, 2008 Report Posted July 12, 2008 also, the last Hemphill Sextet - his way of saying 'screw you' to the WSQ - "I got something that'll go them one, or really two, better." Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted July 12, 2008 Report Posted July 12, 2008 The arrangers I get the most PLEASURE from, whether they're good, bad or indifferent, are Jimmy Mundy Hank Crawford (for making small bands sound big) and whoever did the arrangements for the Erskine Hawkins orchestra, cos they're so low and funky. MG Quote
thomastreichler Posted July 14, 2008 Report Posted July 14, 2008 Some of my favorites: Fletcher Henderson Jimmy Mundy Benny Carter Sy Oliver Duke Ellington Billy Strayhorn Ralph Burns Johnny Mandel Al Cohn Bill Holman Bob Brookmeyer Marty Paich Manny Albam Nat Pierce Neal Hefti (especially his work for Basie) Ernie Wilkins Billy Byers Frank Foster Thad Jones Francy Boland Sammy Nestico Frank Mantooth Bob Florence Matt Catingub Rob McConnell Phil Kelly Tom Kubis Matt Harris Quote
Free For All Posted July 14, 2008 Report Posted July 14, 2008 The guys known as Quincy Jones AKA Billy Byers. He should be on any arrangers list. Quote
BillF Posted July 14, 2008 Report Posted July 14, 2008 (edited) My list would include: Tadd Dameron Gil Fuller Tiny Kahn Neil Hefti Bill Holman Shorty Rogers Gerry Mulligan Marty Paich Bob Florence Jimmy Heath Gigi Gryce Thad Jones Gil Evans Edited July 14, 2008 by BillF Quote
bruce talbot Posted July 14, 2008 Report Posted July 14, 2008 and the most under-rated and least known of all - the late Tom Talbert from 'Bix Duke Fats' to 'Duke's Domain' A quiet genius. Ask Joe Wilder, Danny Bank, Don Shelton, or Eddie Bert. Quote
AllenLowe Posted July 14, 2008 Report Posted July 14, 2008 can't remember the name, but the arranger of Chinatown for Fletcher Henderson in the 1930s - it's in my book but damned if I can remember his name right now - also, Fud Livingston - an unsung great - Quote
Larry Kart Posted July 14, 2008 Report Posted July 14, 2008 and the most under-rated and least known of all - the late Tom Talbert from 'Bix Duke Fats' to 'Duke's Domain' A quiet genius. Ask Joe Wilder, Danny Bank, Don Shelton, or Eddie Bert. Bruce is the author of a fascinating biography of Talbert, "Tom Talbert His Life and Times: Voices From a Vanished World of Jazz" (Scarecrow). I bought "Bix Duke and Fats" when it came out back in 1956 and everything else I could find by Talbert afterwards. All I lack, I believe, is "Wednesday's Child," although two tracks from that 1956 Atlantic album are on the CD that is included in Bruce's book. Seek out anything by Talbert you can find. He's in the same class as Gil Evans, and the flavor of his music is unique -- at once modern and a bit "moderne" at times (like a musical equivalent of Art Deco), it always seemed to be "curved" (if you know what I mean), but it has plenty of drive when it wants to be that way. There's some kinship musically between Talbert with Oscar Pettiford (Talbert knew Pettiford in Minneapolis in his teenage years and later wrote for O.P. in the '50s). Quote
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