BBC Big Band plays Bacharach & Mancini

[Bill Minnick]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rpvwx#segments

[steveo_1965]

Thats very cool! Burt and Henry, along with Gershwin were the 3 greatest pop geniuses
of the 20th century, and of course, Burt is "still going !"........
A subjective opinion from me, but one that is well taken.

Steveo

P.S. And who were those 4 guys from Liverpool? eh? They were pretty good!

[pljms]

Of course it's all a matter of opinion but I'd put Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin well above Henry Mancini in the league of great 20th century popular composers.

I have to say when the presenter at the start of the BBC Big Band show uttered the words, "....featuring the music of those kings of easy listening, Henry Mancini and Burt Bacharach", I nearly switched off in anger at hearing that cheap and dismissive term used in connection with BB yet again, and on a radio show that's well known for taking popular music seriously. However, although I'm glad I didn't switch off I was disappointed that none of the Bacharach selections were purely instrumental as vocalist Ian Shaw is a very mannered 'jazz' singer who can't see a simple melodic line without adding several notes of his own and is definitely more than an acquired taste.

For those of us who live on this side of the 'pond', Big Band arranger Chris Dean has devised a show around Bacharach's music which is touring the UK from tonight. See the link below:

http://www.jazzmouse.co.uk/news51.html

[steveo_1965]

Right,
Well I was thinking of instrumental pieces, and innovative jazz harmony, and motion picture music.
The others you mention have their own kind of genius, but it is musch more traditional,
and of course they pre dated mancini and lived in a different time...
I do like those tunes as well. Really I wasnt reffering to "tunesmiths" but innovative musical
harmony..

Steveo

[blueonblue]

Steveo,
One of Mancini's finest......


"blue"

[pljms]

Steveo, it was the allusion to the Beatles, not known for their instrumental pieces and innovative jazz harmony, in your post that naturally made me think of songwriters or "tunesmiths" as you call them.

There's no denying that Mancini was a terrific composer/arranger and being someone steeped in jazz not averse to using flattened 5ths. His 'Mancini Touch' album is a beautiful piece of work.

[steveo_1965]

Plj!ms,
I understand...
Best,
Steveo
Blue, thanks for the Mancini link !