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Posted: |
Jul 17, 2017 - 4:38 PM
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By: |
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(Member)
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Thought I'd share this nice experience with any out there who might enjoy something a little different...
I decided to give another audition to the many versions of the Spartacus Love theme that were spread over a couple of discs in Varese's Spartacus set. It felt like a duty in a way – having paid for them all I felt obliged to give them at least one more listen after all this time. For the most part it was a similar experience to the first (and only) time I'd played them all previously. But one track stood out this time (perhaps I'd skipped past it previously, towards the end of what seemed an endless number of versions of the same piece): Track 10 of the second Spartacus Love Themes disc, with John Neufeld conducting and Marty Crystal on clarinet.
If you don't have the Spartacus set to sample this track, this Youtube video gives a taste of the Neufeld album's style:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Wm3qmDjTk
This time I liked this jazzy version so much, I wanted to check out the album from which this track was sourced. The album title (and design of the cover) of SILVER SCREEN IN BLUE might suggest a rather generic collection of retreads and pop covers, but I took a chance on buying it because the track on the Varese disc was so good. The tracks of the original disc include fine jazzy treatments of films like Invitation (Kaper), Best Years of Our Lives (Friedhofer), The Bad and the Beautiful (Raksin) and, most substantially at 11:42 length, a Fantasy on Themes from Anthony Adverse (Korngold). Having now played this SUPERB album, I think the latter piece is worth the cost of the album on its own, but everything else is excellent too.
If you have the Spartacus set and you like the feel of this Neufeld performance of the Spartacus theme, I'm sure you'll also enjoy the rest of the tracks on the original source album. Apologies if I'm late to the party and most of you are already aware of this CD, but it's new to me and now I'm keen to recommend it.
Here's what a couple of magazine reviewers have had to say (lifted from Amazon):
I am glad to have received from Los Angeles clarinetist Marty Krystall the somewhat off-the-beaten track 2009 release, Silver Screen in Blue for clarinet and strings. Mr. Krystall is a long-time wind doubler in the LA film, television, and jazz world. A player at home in classical, jazz, and many popular styles, he can be heard on hundreds of Hollywood movie and television scores. He has frequently toured in the U.S. and Europe, and has recorded with artists as far-ranging as Aretha Franklin and Tashi (the Webern Quartet for violin, clarinet, tenor saxophone, and piano). This disc presents arrangements of music of eight motion pictures from the Golden Age of movies, with no living composer represented. The arrangements, for solo clarinet, double string quartet, bass, and harp, are by the distinguished composer/arranger/ orchestrator (and former clarinetist) John Neufeld, who also conducts the ensemble in this release. These arrangements are rich in harmonic interest, spiced with counterpoint and jazz harmony, effectively structured, and intelligent in detail. A project of this kind could have easily resulted in a soloist display with some (quite frankly), cheesy accompaniments. Such is not the case here. Neufeld does not use a cookie-cutter approach from track to track, recognizing the varying characteristics among these tunes. The music programmed is: Love Theme from Spartacus (Alex North); Invitation (Bronislav Kaper); Black and Tan Fantasy (Duke Ellington); The Bad and the Beautiful (David Raksin); Theme from The Best Years of Our Lives (Hugo Friedhofer); Two for the Road (Henry Mancini); Over the Rainbow (Harold Arlen); Fantasy on Themes from Anthony Adverse (Erich Wolfgang Korngold). With the exception of the Korngold Fantasy (an almost twelve-minute piece), the arrangements are in the four-to-six-minute time range. It is clear from the arrangements and the clarinet playing that both Neufeld and Krystall are seasoned jazz musicians. All the tracks exhibit a moderate to strong jazz character, and Krystall plays with a rich sound, smooth technique, and with tasty inflections which the rather wide variety of material demands of him, from simple lyrical character to active virtuosic solos. In Invitation and Anthony Adverse Krystall is given solo cadenzas which he impressively delivers. Although solo jazz choruses appear throughout this disc, I believe that none of the improvisational-sounding material is improvised, but is well- written by John Neufeld, who is apparently a stickler for detail and who weaves these pieces into a kind of jazz chamber music. He dispenses with the piano/bass/drums rhythm section, so the time keeping is totally notated in the ensemble. There are no weak arrangements or performances on this disc, but certain tracks which seem to work the best for this writer are Kaper's Invitation, David Raksin's The Bad and the Beautiful, and Mancini's Two for the Road, the latter two in part perhaps because they are widely familiar tunes. Neufeld's arrangement of Arlen's Over the Rainbow is imaginative and rich in detail, and much more effective than anticipated. The first hearing of the Korngold Anthony Adverse track was a surprise and pleasant discovery to hear unexpectedly yet another tune known to this writer. The composer's beautiful main theme from the Romance movement of his 1945 Violin Concerto was lifted from his 1936 film score. Silver Screen in Blue is a delightful and somewhat unusual diversion which may very well appeal to many clarinetists. The recorded sound is a close-up studio perspective which is detailed and natural, if a bit on the dry side. It supplies a variety of moods, with ballads and up-tempo tunes to make for a seemingly short 46-minute listening experience, and it may also prick some fresh programming interest among our readers. --William Nichols - International Clarinet Association Magazine
Marty Krystall Silver Screen In Blue (K2B2) When one thinks of Marty Krystall, it is of a virtuoso post bop stylist who can play the music of Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols and other top jazz composers backwards. Best known for his passionate solos on tenor and bass clarinet, Krystall is one of those underrated greats who has made his living in the Los Angeles studios, mastering most reeds, sight-reading perfectly, and occasionally surfacing on records to remind us what a great improviser he is. Silver Screen In Blue is a change of pace for Marty Krystall sticks exclusively to the clarinet. Joined by a double string quartet (four violins, two violas and two cellos) plus bass and harp, Krystall performs eight pieces taken from films. The string arrangements by John Neufeld bring out the beauty in the pieces and keep the music from being overly predictable. While Krystall plays melodically, he never takes it easy and comes up with fresh ideas on the stimulating material. Among the selections that he explores are five songs that became jazz standards ( 'Invitation, Duke Ellington's Black And Tan Fantasy, The Theme From Spartacus, Two For The Road and Over The Rainbow ) plus The Bad And The Beautiful, the Theme From The Best Years Of Our Lives and, easily the lengthiest performance, Fantasy On Themes From Anthony Adverse. In addition to the clarinetist, there are a few solos from violinists Bruce Dukov and Ham Shtrum, Brian Dembow on viola and cellist Matthew Cooker that fit well into the music and give it variety. Silver Screen In Blue is the type of recording that grows in interest with each listen. -Scott Yanow --L.A. Jazz Scene Magazine
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