Recorded mostly in December 58 Melba Liston leads an all star bone band, icluding Slide on Tuba!
Hope you enjoy.....
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:52 am
by afugate
Vegasbound wrote: ↑Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:36 am
Recorded mostly in December 58 Melba Liston leads an all star bone band, icluding Slide on Tuba!
Hope you enjoy.....
New to me. Dang that's good!
--Andy in OKC
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 9:57 am
by Doug Elliott
New to me too. It doesn't get any better than that, what a lineup of players!
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 10:48 am
by baroquetrombone
This is great! Thanks for posting.
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:17 am
by 11561man
Thoroughly enjoyed, thank you.
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 12:36 pm
by SwissTbone
Cool album. Thanks!
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 1:33 pm
by CalgaryTbone
Thanks for posting! Had no idea that Slide played tuba, and I thought all of the classic trombone/rhythm section albums were common knowledge these days. Nice to discover another one - particularly one so good!
Jim Scott
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:14 pm
by King2bPlus
I've had this LP for years. Hadn't listened in a while though. Just digitized it.
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:19 pm
by Burgerbob
Learned about her from a children's book I was gifted. Great album and player!
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 3:08 pm
by mbarbier
It's an excellent book! My kid and I read it all the time- the album is incredible too. Glad it's getting a thread!
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 8:05 am
by bkessler
Wow, thanks! I’ll join the chorus of “New to mes.” Great album, great players.
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:28 pm
by bassclef
I've listened to this several times since it was posted last week. So good!
"Blues Melba" (Melba Liston) – 6:33
"The Trolley Song" (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane) – 2:30
"Pow!" (Leonard Feather) – 4:04
"Wonder Why" (Nicholas Brodszky, Sammy Cahn) – 4:03
"Christmas Eve" (Slide Hampton) – 5:00
"What's My Line Theme" (Granville 'Sascha' Burland) – 4:24
"You Don't Say" (Melba Liston) – 3:57
"The Dark Before the Dawn" (Hampton, Feather) – 3:23
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:25 am
by Doug Elliott
Each player has a very distinctive voice but I don't know them to recognize. Is solo order listed for each tune?
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:59 am
by Vegasbound
01. Christmas Eve (Slide Hampton) 4:57
02. Whats My Line Theme (Sascha Burland) 4:18
03. You Dont Say (Melba Liston) 3:55
04. The Dark Before The Dawn (Feather-Hampton) 3:18
05. Pow! (Leonard Feather) 4:01
06. Blues Melba (Melba Liston) 6:30
07. The Trolley Song (Martin-Blane) 2:31
08. Wonder Why (Brodzsky-Cann) 3:58
09. Insomnia (Melba Liston) 3:29 *
10. Very Syrian Business (Frank Rehak) 4:22 *
11. Never Do An Abadanian (Rehak-Davis) 5:07 *
12. Zagred This (Melba Liston) 4:41 *
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:02 am
by Vegasbound
Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:25 am
Each player has a very distinctive voice but I don't know them to recognize. Is solo order listed for each tune?
Doug this is all that is listed
Baritone Saxophone – Marty Flax (tracks: 9 to 12)
Bass – George Joyner (tracks: 3, 6, 7), Nelson Boyd (tracks: 9 to 12)
Drums – Charlie Persip (tracks: 3, 6, 7, 9 to 12), Frank Dunlop* (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8)
Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 3, 6, 7)
Piano – Ray Bryant (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8), Walter Davis Jr. (tracks: 9 to 12)
Reissue Producer – Jordi Pujol
Trombone – Al Grey (tracks: 3, 6, 7), Bennie Green (tracks: 3, 6, 7), Benny Powell (tracks: 3, 6, 7), Frank Rehak (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9 to 12), Jimmy Cleveland (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8), Melba Liston
Trombone, Tuba – Slide Hampton (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8)
Notice how the performance is different from today. First of all, the arrangements are playable. By that I mean these virtuosos don't have to bring their entire bag of tricks to bear against the chart. They get to play each note really great rather than rushing to the next. I can't count the number of charts for trombones I have heard that are just too hard for world class players.
Second, these guys and gal play with rhythmic impulse. Even the longer held notes often get a bit of an accent to start, and then come off it a bit. (Don't just hold that note, do something with it! an old pro said.) Even the mp notes behind solos. (For those who have never listened to those notes (or hide them when they play them), they can make or break a chart. Take the solo out and then play the background so it provides the most interest and impulse possible. That's how it should be.)
What I'm describing here is performance practice that seems to be totally dead. It seems the studios and schools enforce an interpretation that is very different, flaccid by comparison. I'd like to be wrong on that. Most everyone who did this in the day is gone.
Another place to go for great ensemble practice is any of the Kai Winding bands, even the ones just playing melody for the beautiful music stations. They're all great.
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:37 am
by ArbanRubank
baileyman wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:15 am
Notice how the performance is different from today. First of all, the arrangements are playable. By that I mean these virtuosos don't have to bring their entire bag of tricks to bear against the chart. They get to play each note really great rather than rushing to the next. I can't count the number of charts for trombones I have heard that are just too hard for world class players.
Second, these guys and gal play with rhythmic impulse. Even the longer held notes often get a bit of an accent to start, and then come off it a bit. (Don't just hold that note, do something with it! an old pro said.) Even the mp notes behind solos. (For those who have never listened to those notes (or hide them when they play them), they can make or break a chart. Take the solo out and then play the background so it provides the most interest and impulse possible. That's how it should be.)
What I'm describing here is performance practice that seems to be totally dead. It seems the studios and schools enforce an interpretation that is very different, flaccid by comparison. I'd like to be wrong on that. Most everyone who did this in the day is gone.
Another place to go for great ensemble practice is any of the Kai Winding bands, even the ones just playing melody for the beautiful music stations. They're all great.
I couldn't agree with you more! Add to that some soloists playing in a mono-dynamic, which I believe you were mentioning in the long-held notes. Also, it's great to be square on the beat, but I believe we have become a slave to the pencil-tappers as well as the intonation purists. If an artist wants to slightly rush or lag a part of a phrase for some kind of effect - or start a note flat or sharp - well, that's jazz. I would much rather hear someone play with emotional content, even if it's laid on a little too thick, rather than to hear a purist play "sterile" as I think of it. Technical masters are becoming a dime-a-dozen. I like to listen to those who have "it". She had "it"!
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:20 am
by fsgazda
I just performed a lecture recital on low brass music by African American composers, and closed with one of her ballads, "Melba's Tune". I can post the relevant slides from the powerpoint if anyone is interested.
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:32 am
by Vegasbound
fsgazda wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:20 am
I just performed a lecture recital on low brass music by African American composers, and closed with one of her ballads, "Melba's Tune". I can post the relevant slides from the powerpoint if anyone is interested.
Please do , I think several of us will be interested
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:53 am
by fsgazda
Black Composers.pdf
I tried to attach the relevant slides. Not sure if it worked.
Re: Melba Liston and her bones
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:10 pm
by KWL
fsgazda wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:53 am
Black Composers.pdf
I tried to attach the relevant slides. Not sure if it worked.
