To the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire yesterday where Michele Corcella was working with students on arranging for big band with particular reference to Ellington’s New Orleans Suite. It is Michele's transcription of same which will be performed by the Conservatoire's Ellington Orchestra this coming Monday evening.
The hour and a half seminar was fascinating. We learnt that Ellington's own method of notating his compositions was unique and understood by his copyist Tom Whaley (pictured above, looking on while Ellington and Strayhorn confer) to whom fell the task of writing out the parts for the expensive gentlemen of the orchestra. he was copyist for Ellington only. Arranging and composing companion Billy Strayhorn had to write out his work for the members of the Orchestra himself.
The reactions of the students was illuminating. In response to the opening of Portrait of Louis Armstrong, one student said "There's so much going on," which, in a nutshell, is one of the chief attractions of Ellington's music. Another student was concerned to place the recording in a timeline, finding the opening piano solo reminiscent of Thelonious Monk. "1970" was the reply, :Ellington was 71." The students were obviously amazed that a septuagenarian could produce such fecundity.
Michele Corcella is visiting in part because of the performance of his transcriptions of the suite this coming Monday. he will introduce the performance.
For those of us unable to attend, here is a little background to the genesis of these compositions. Tom Reney has presented Jazz à la Mode on New England Public Radio since 1984. His article, Duke Ellington and George Wein: Civilizing New Orleans may be found here.
The reactions of the students was illuminating. In response to the opening of Portrait of Louis Armstrong, one student said "There's so much going on," which, in a nutshell, is one of the chief attractions of Ellington's music. Another student was concerned to place the recording in a timeline, finding the opening piano solo reminiscent of Thelonious Monk. "1970" was the reply, :Ellington was 71." The students were obviously amazed that a septuagenarian could produce such fecundity.
Michele Corcella is visiting in part because of the performance of his transcriptions of the suite this coming Monday. he will introduce the performance.
For those of us unable to attend, here is a little background to the genesis of these compositions. Tom Reney has presented Jazz à la Mode on New England Public Radio since 1984. His article, Duke Ellington and George Wein: Civilizing New Orleans may be found here.
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