"Tricotism" (or is it "Tricrotism"?)

[Free For All]

I just finished writing an arrangement of this for big band. It was interesting checking out several different recordings, there are many different variations of the tune out there. It's a great line with great changes. In Db, no less!

One thing I was wondering is if anyone knows where the title came from?

I've looked around a bit and haven't come up with an answer, so I thought I'd bring it to the place where all knowledge is kept.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Free For All

[JSngry]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tricrotism

[Free For All]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tricrotism

Yeah, I saw that definition. But there's no second "R" in the tune title.

[Big Beat Steve]

I have a "Tricrotism" somewhere in my collection (can't recall the artist right now) but remember quite distinctly that it DOES have that second "R" (because in fact if you just glance over the word you tend to "drop" that second "R" but then you note it IS there). Are you sure your source isn't just misspelled?

Edited February 10, 2010 by Big Beat Steve

[Chas]

The tune appears on Jimmy Cleveland's Rhythm Crazy LP , where it is spelled Tricrotism .

[BillF]

"Tricotism" doesn't seem to exist as a word, but it ought to mean the art of knitting. (French "tricoter" = to knit). I like it; sounds better than the unpronounceable "tricrotism".

[PHILLYQ]

On Max Roach's 'To the Max' it's spelled with one 'r',but I don't know how good a speller he was.

[brownie]

The good Jordi Pujol had this note on the origin of this tune in the liner notes to the FreshSound CD 'Oscar Pettiford In a Cello Mood':

The tune Tricotism was originally released on (Bethlehem) BCP-1003 as Tricatism. Since the it has also been known as Tricotism and yet, it seems that the name Oscar originally intended to use was Tractitism.

I have also seen this tune spelled 'Trictrotism' in this excellent Pettiford discography.

[Niko]

in the LOC copyright files there's only Tricrotism

[Free For All]

OK, it's spelled w/o the second "R" on the Lucky Thompson side, but the Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass/NHOP duo versions have the title as "Tricrotism". It's odd that the LT version with Pettiford on bass would be the one that's mispelled.

EDIT: After googling both titles it seems to be split between the two spellings, although obviously Tricrotism is an actual word.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Free For All

[Big Beat Steve]

OK, it's spelled w/o the second "R" on the Lucky Thompson side, but the Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass/NHOP duo versions have the title as "Tricrotism". It's odd that the LT version with Pettiford on bass would be the one that's mispelled.

Don't know what pressing/issue/reissue you have, but on my Jasmine (facsimile) LP reissue of the ABC Paramount release (ABC-111) the spelling is Tricrotism, and this seems to be a straight reproduction of the original back cover typeface and layout complete with liner notes by Burt Korall. So it might well be that some reissuers did not get this right.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Big Beat Steve

[mjzee]

To make things more interesting, on the Impulse 2-lp rerelease in the '70's, titled Dancing Sunbeam, the track is listed as Tricrotism. On the Impulse CD reissue from 1993, both the CD and the track are named Tricotism.

[Free For All]

This is the Lucky Thompson version w/Pettiford on bass. Odd that this one would be mispelled.

EDIT: And thanks to whomever changed the thread title. I guess I've been pronouncing the title wrong my whole life, although everyone I've talked to has done the same. I'd never noticed the inconsistent spellings until now.

Actual, the "correct" word is much harder to say. :rsmile:

Edited February 10, 2010 by Free For All

[Big Beat Steve]

This is the Lucky Thompson version w/Pettiford on bass. Odd that this one would be mispelled.

Well, since we all seem to be talking about various reissues, maybe THIS might settle the case:

I dug through my "Down Beat Record Reviews" reference books, and Vol. I has a review of ABC-Paramount 111 (rating is 4 1/2 stars, by the way ), and in the track listing it says "Tricrotism" too.

[Free For All]

This is the Lucky Thompson version w/Pettiford on bass. Odd that this one would be mispelled.

Well, since we all seem to be talking about various reissues, maybe THIS might settle the case:

I dug through my "Down Beat Record Reviews" reference books, and Vol. I has a review of ABC-Paramount 111 (rating is 4 1/2 stars, by the way ), and in the track listing it says "Tricrotism" too.

Yes, now that I've been looking there seem to be many cases for both spellings.

TricRotism

[mjzee]

My only hesitancy in proclaiming the "official" spelling Tricrotism is that the 1993 CD reissue was produced by Cuscuna. Since there seems to have been a conscious decision to spell it Tricotism rather than Tricrotism, I wonder what went into that thought process. I don't think that detail would have eluded Cuscuna (Booby Hutcherson notwithstanding...this is Impulse, after all, not BN with their famed proof-readers).

[Jim R]

After googling both titles it seems to be split between the two spellings...

I have eight versions, and I had always noticed that when entering track info into my database. I think I had seen "Tricotism" many times before I encountered "Tricrotism", which had me leaning toward the former. The evidence seems to be piling up the other way, but the Lucky Thompson CD cover is indeed puzzling.

[Larry Kart]

EDIT: And thanks to whomever changed the thread title. I guess I've been pronouncing the title wrong my whole life, although everyone I've talked to has done the same. I'd never noticed the inconsistent spellings until now.

Actual, the "correct" word is much harder to say. :rsmile:

That would be me.

I find "Tricrotism" easier to say. If there's a slight awkwardness/hesitation between "Tri and "cro" in "Tricrotism," it's more awkward for me to go from "co" and "tism" in "Tricotism." "Tricrotism" seems balanced and flowing; one almost bounces from "cro" to "tism." "Tricotism" is kind of hollow in the middle, no bounce at all.

[JSngry]

TriCroTreat!!!

[Hoppy T. Frog]

TriCroTreat!!!

Tricro-tastic

[brownie]

[RD44]

Just bought second hand the Oscar Peterson Verve cd "Bursting Out With The All Star Big Band/Swinging Brass".

Track 6 is listed as "Tricrotism (oka Tractitism)"

Tractitism is a new one on me