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Posted: |
Dec 5, 2023 - 12:18 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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He turns an amazing 100 today, and is the world's oldest film composer. I love his SHAFT scores, of course (RIP, Richard Roundtree!), and he also orchestrated Curtis Mayfield's classic SUPER FLY. Otherwise, I'm not too familiar with his work, but I'll make an effort to some day, both the jazz albums and the other scores. There aren't any current interviews with Pate on YouTube, but there is this very interesting one from 2012. 11 years ago, so he was 89 then, but still sharp as a knife, with some great stories to tell (and some amazing namedropping). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XgYnYKYDMU&t=1680s&ab_channel=ArlingtonJones (for some reason, I can't get embedding to work).
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Thanks for that, Thor. I'm only part way through, but it's good stuff. I still have to listen to the rest of a Goldsmith Odyssey podcast, buy some more CDs, go to work, steal some rice from the supermarket, write enthusiastic comments about old CDs etc etc etc... As you point out, Pate was in great shape in that interview (aged 89). Wish I was half as sharp, and I'm only 36.
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Thanks for posting. I've never listened to his music. I'll have to give it a whirl.
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Posted: |
Dec 5, 2023 - 6:08 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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Outside the SHAFT stuff (the Africa film and the TV series, both released on FSM), I also recommend BROTHER ON THE RUN. But as I said earlier, my own knowledge is limited, so I -- too -- look forward to exploring more. He's only credited with 9 titles on IMDB (as composer), might be more, I don't know. But he seems to have a pretty good catalogue in jazz music too, in various capacities (arranger, conductor, bass player etc.). Love his casual bits in the interview about hanging out with Duke Ellington & co. in their heyday.
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Happy Birthday to Mr Pate, who did a terrific score for SHAFT IN AFRICA and for the TV episodes. To be honest, I far prefer what he did for SHAFT than Issac Hayes did - but that's just me. Dusty Groove Records brought out a CD several years ago of his 1970 record OUTRAGEOUS, which is full of SHAFT-like grooves - 10 great cues played by an orchestra of about 13 players as I recall. And thanks Thor, for the link to that substantial interview. He deserves that.
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Happy Birthday to Mr Pate, who did a terrific score for SHAFT IN AFRICA and for the TV episodes. To be honest, I far prefer what he did for SHAFT than Issac Hayes did - but that's just me. Dusty Groove Records brought out a CD several years ago of his 1970 record OUTRAGEOUS, which is full of SHAFT-like grooves - 10 great cues played by an orchestra of about 13 players as I recall. And thanks Thor, for the link to that substantial interview. He deserves that. Absolutely; Outrageous is an excellent album along with Shaft In Africa, Brother On The Run. Thanks again to Lukas for releasing the Shaft box set. I hoped that the Shaft and Cleopatra Jones sets might have led to a flood of expanded funk and blaxploitation releases... still hoping...
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Well, as I said, I had never listened to Pate. I've just sampled his Shaft music, Brother on the Run, and Outrageous. Simon Morris, thank you for recommending Outrageous. It is really richly orchestrated but still tastefully in the grooves of the day. On youtube I found a record from 1968 called Set a Pattern--again rich orchestrations--but could not locate this album on Discogs or Amazon. I hope the Shaft scores get re-released.
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Ah, just found Set a Pattern on Discogs.
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