Don Sebesky has died.

[rostasi]

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Don-Sebesky-Broadway-Orchestrator-of-PARADE-and-More-Has-Passed-Away-20230429

[sidewinder]

Sad news, RIP. Hugely influential on that ‘CTI sound’.

Edited April 30, 2023 by sidewinder

[Teasing the Korean]

RIP. Sebesky's Verve album "The Distant Galaxy" is a masterpiece.

 

 

[felser]

2 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

RIP. Sebesky's Verve album "The Distant Galaxy" is a masterpiece.

RIP.  He was the best at what he did, regardless of what one thinks of the genre (I've steadily grown into it over the decades, adore it now).  Though I've never heard it, I'd jump at a domestic CD issue of that title, even with "Honey" and "Lady Madonna" onboard.

[Teasing the Korean]

8 minutes ago, felser said:

RIP.  He was the best at what he did, regardless of what one thinks of the genre (I've steadily grown into it over the decades, adore it now).  Though I've never heard it, I'd jump at a domestic CD issue of that title, even with "Honey" and "Lady Madonna" onboard.

There was a period when I was scarfing up all these jazz and EZ albums with Eastern touches.  I remember getting Alan Lorber's The Lotus Palace at around the same time I found Distant Galaxy.  

[BillF]

I always liked this one:

Edited April 30, 2023 by BillF

[Teasing the Korean]

13 minutes ago, BillF said:

I always liked this one:

I've never even SEEN that one!

[BillF]

1 minute ago, Teasing the Korean said:

I've never even SEEN that one!

Perhaps this one is more familiar. I used to listen to it a lot, too:

[Big Al]

Aw man, this hurts. RIP to one of the greats. There was a long while where if I saw the words "arranged by Don Sebesky" I'd turn up my nose. Then I heard GIANT BOX. Now when I see those words I tune in immediately.

[Teasing the Korean]

16 minutes ago, BillF said:

Perhaps this one is more familiar. I used to listen to it a lot, too:

That was my first post in my thread titled Album Covers Where They Simply Ran Out of Ideas.  I would never dream of buying a record with a cover like that.  Maybe I'm missing some good music as a result.  I like Sebesky from the late-1960s/early-1970s.

[JSngry]

Taken as a whole, I am indifferent.

But taken on a selected, case-by-case basis, there is more than a little brilliance.

RIP

 

[felser]

2 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

I remember getting Alan Lorber's The Lotus Palace at around the same time I found Distant Galaxy.  

Forever indebted to Lorber for the Bosstown Sound, especially the Ultimate Spinach 'Behold and See', which sounds great at this late date!

 

1 hour ago, Teasing the Korean said:

I've never even SEEN that one!

Me neither, looks like it would be really good.  Again, no CD release.

[sidewinder]

2 hours ago, BillF said:

I always liked this oone:

I’ve got that one on vinyl which I bought in the early 80s. Haven’t played it for years - will dig it out tomorrow. It’s a pleasant listen.

Edited April 30, 2023 by sidewinder

[JSngry]

 

[danasgoodstuff]

listened to this one with Don Sebesky arrangements today

[soulpope]

12 hours ago, BillF said:

I always liked this one:

Beautiful Cover Art too ....

[BillF]

1 hour ago, soulpope said:

Beautiful Cover Art too ....

Yes, indeed! 👍

[Justin V]

I wasn't around during the CTI days, but I still have and enjoy several albums with Don Sebesky's work.  Thank you for the music, Mr. Sebesky, and rest in peace.

[Eric]

13 hours ago, BillF said:

Yes, indeed! 👍

Yet not a CTI/A&M product!  GNP Crescendo

[mjzee]

Giant Box is prime eclecticism.  The 7 tracks sound like they're from 7 different albums.  Creed Taylor deserves some props - I don't know that another record label would have funded an arranger's inner muse in such a way.  CTI seemed to have "calmed down" a bit after Sebesky left, and became more predictable and formulaic.  RIP.

[sgcim]

18 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

listened to this one with Don Sebesky arrangements today

That was my fave Randy Weston album, but Randy hated it with a passion. I went through a Sebesky hate period, because of those Wes Montgomery records he 'sanitized', but then I got a chance to play some of his arrangements, and I realized he was a great arranger. RIP

[Teasing the Korean]

1 hour ago, sgcim said:

That was my fave Randy Weston album, but Randy hated it with a passion. I went through a Sebesky hate period, because of those Wes Montgomery records he 'sanitized', but then I got a chance to play some of his arrangements, and I realized he was a great arranger. RIP

That couldn't  have been an easy job to write arrangements around an existing recorded performance.  You're having to listen for all kinds of harmonic details, plus determining where there is space for orchestral lines.  

[Chuck Nessa]

 

On 4/30/2023 at 11:56 PM, danasgoodstuff said:

listened to this one with Don Sebesky arrangements today

Randy fucking hated it.

Edited May 2, 2023 by Chuck Nessa

[danasgoodstuff]

56 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

 

Randy fucking hated it.

That's interesting, but hardly determinative of anything.

[Gheorghe]

I remember his arrangements on the Chet Baker album "You Can´t Go Home", which is nice, especially because it brought Chet Baker to a larger audience. He was very proud of that album and played "Love for Sale" always with that arrangement, in all his small groups over here in Europe.