The comments section on this post is temporarily open for all readers (usually it is for paid subscribers only). The previous threads were pretty active and interesting, so: Say what is on your mind, drop your hottest take, or ask me anything — but please keep it clean and civil.
(Many questions and comments arrive in various DMs and email inboxes. I don’t always have the bandwidth to answer, but here in the TT forum, where I’m on the hook to respond, I’ll do my best.)
If you need a memory jog of what you wanted to comment about, recent postings include:
Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Peter Washington, Herbie Hancock
Monsieur Spade and George V. Higgins
Leonard Bernstein and Wayne Shorter
Just the Facts and the Writer's Voice
I was goofing off last week in my practice room, partly because I’m learning Final Cut Pro and will soon have a YouTube channel. (Thanks, Brian Krock, for a starting assist!) These two tiny videos are not for YouTube, but I sense a certain potential….
“Puff, the Magic Dragon” (Peter Yarrow, from a poem by Leonard Lipton)
“Laura” (David Raksin)
Again, the comments section is open until Tuesday. Ask me anything or simply state your piece. If you don’t chime in this time, I will host another open thread in another month or so.
Update: the comments are closed. Thanks for reading, thanks for listening.
Back in 1993 I have met composer David Raksin at the party in LA.
Next day he invited me & my wife to his house in Van Nuys.
We talked a lot:
David originally played oboe in orchestra in NYC when he was hired to transcribe down Charlie Chaplin whistling. Charlie was sitting in high chair smoking cigar and whistle. The result was song “Smile”. It’s success help David to move to LA. He arranged and composed for film.
After the war in 1945 David was asked for a quick job. Producer told him: we wanted to use Sophisticated Lady for our new film, but if you could bring something similar up to Monday morning , you will get the job.
It was Friday afternoon. As David told me, he was unsuccessfully trying to write something during Friday and Saturday nights and day as well. No success. When he nearly gave up on Sunday late afternoon, the first motiv appeared in his mind. Ami7/9 to D7 resolved to G.
Atfer that, David said , everything went smoothly. Next morning he got the job. Movie LAURA got many Oscars in 1946.
David accented that there is no other melody in the movie except his only one. 12 different arrangements, different tempos etc., explaining the use with certain scenes.
It was a nice lesson of film music for me, that I never forget.
Ethan, I preface this with the reminder it is all your fault : after finishing Powell’s A Dance to the Music of Time earlier this year, I recently started listening to the audiobook versions performed by the great Simon Vance. Have you listened? They are fantastic.