 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In tomorrow's (Saturday 20th June) BBC Radio 3 broadcast of "Sound of Cinema", presenter Matthew Sweet interviews the 89-year old American composer David Amram.
(Just in case any film music aficionados in the UK might fancy tuning in...)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wish I could hear it. I like his music, both in and out of films.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I like the Greek/Turkish music for The Arrangement and Amram's latin jazz album Havana New York.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jun 23, 2020 - 9:36 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Graham Watt
(Member)
|
Thanks to James (for the original announcement) and to Last (for the link).
I've just heard it all, and it's wonderful. Not so much - or not only - for the music, but for the opportubity to hear David Amram speaking so lucidly and inspirationally. He's an absolutely amazing guy. As for the music, I've always only really been familiar with the Main Titles for SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (which I like) and THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (which I love - both film and score). Other than those, the one that really caught my interest was the jazz waltz from AFTER THE FALL, which is kind of "Take Five"-ish in overall tone, with a big booting baritone sax solo in the middle.
But everything else is of interest, especially hearing Amram putting it in context. The poetry and jazz readings with Kerouac, his reminiscing about Allen Ginsberg (I was reminded of the splendidly witty Roger Corman film A BUCKET OF BLOOD), the Beat Generation stories in general... I loved it all.
Highlights among highlights are his very amusing variety of accents when recounting his life - the "Yeah but what do you DO?" (when people used to gauge how worthy of talking to he was depending on if he had a "proper" job or not), his stories about Kazan and Frankenheimer (when Amram asked the latter what kind of approach he should take on scoring one of his movies, the director replied, "The film will tell you what to do"). I was interested to hear that Amram had first worked with Frankenheimer for TV, on an adaptation of "The Turn of the Screw" starring Ingrid Bergman, for the show "Startime".
But as I say, it wasn't so much the Hollywood details, or even the music clips, which held my interest, but rather the enormous feeling of generosity and humility which Amram seemed to radiate, and which seems to be his philosophy for life. He's eternally grateful to those who have shared their time with him, and that's what he believes to be his "mission". It gets a little spiritual near the end when he talks of a recent phone conversation with Sonny Rollins (they're both due to turn 90 around the same time), and it's just great to hear.
Love all the "...ologies" mentioned. Amram is optimistic by nature and dislikes the negative vibes of "whineology" and "blameology". He loves life and feels that we should educate in order to make our children "enjoy the journey", as he believes life should be. Oh yeah, he might have seven honorary doctorates but he considers the key to be the fact that he sees himself as a "lifetime student of the University of Hangoutology"!
His homepage is fascinating - www.davidamram.com
I'm filled with benevolence now, and urge you all to listen to the show before it's too late (not meaning - strangely from me - the end of the world, but rather the amount of time it's going to be hanging around the airwaves, or whatever they're called).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Like Villagardens553, I've always loved Amram's music in and out of films. All too many of his most beautiful concert works are still available only on LP, but that's another story. I got to see him performing and chat a little with him at a local hangout a few years ago, and his wisdom and joie de vivre was everything that's been said about him on this thread. Thanks for posting it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For me it says “not available in your area”. Dang.
Yavar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No just the Amram. Those work.
Yavar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
