tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6853772569125614798.post2197104725384282792..comments2024-03-28T09:45:33.089-07:00Comments on JazzProfiles: Billy May - The Gene Lees InterviewUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6853772569125614798.post-75417370738401368992018-08-02T02:29:59.843-07:002018-08-02T02:29:59.843-07:00It's an unfortunate thing: mention Billy May a...It's an unfortunate thing: mention Billy May at Eastman, and they don't even know who he is. I don't arrange in the style of Billy May (who can!?) but I'm always proud to say he is a chief influence on my arranging. I find myself using many of his concepts including his humor. Bill Dobbins once graciously invited me to bring my arrangement of "Skylark" to an Eastman Jazz Ensemble rehearsal. I proudly entitled it "Skylarks in May" because I borrowed a sequence from Billy's "Skylark" chart for Ray Anthony's Golden Horn LP. And I made footnote acknowledgement of Billy on each part. Billy was an absolute monster at cleverly, beautifully and smoothly reharmonizing melodies. Ray Anthony's "Skylark" is a little gem of an example. Mike DiMartinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07699378772805162043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6853772569125614798.post-79394582456893520092018-07-29T18:30:43.447-07:002018-07-29T18:30:43.447-07:00It's an unfortunate thing: mention Billy May a...It's an unfortunate thing: mention Billy May at Eastman, and they don't even know who he is. I don't arrange in the style of Billy May (who can!?) but I'm always proud to say he is a chief influence on my arranging. I find myself using many of his concepts including his humor. Bill Dobbins once graciously invited me to bring my arrangement of "Skylark" to an Eastman Jazz Ensemble rehearsal. I proudly entitled it "Skylarks in May" because I borrowed a sequence from Billy's "Skylark" chart for Ray Anthony's Golden Horn LP. And I made footnote acknowledgement of Billy on each part. Billy was an absolute monster at cleverly, beautifully and smoothly harmonizing melodies. Ray Anthony's "Skylark" is a little gem of an example. Mike DiMartinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07699378772805162043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6853772569125614798.post-19692636597939865322018-07-29T18:27:19.894-07:002018-07-29T18:27:19.894-07:00It's an unfortunate thing: mention Billy May a...It's an unfortunate thing: mention Billy May at Eastman, and they don't even know who he is. I don't arrange in the style of Billy May (who can!?) but I'm always proud to say he is a chief influence on my arranging. I find myself using many of his concepts including his humor. Bill Dobbins once graciously invited me to bring my arrangement of "Skylark" to an Eastman Jazz Ensemble rehearsal. I proudly entitled it "Skylark's in May" because I borrowed a sequence from Billy's "Skylark" chart for Ray Anthony's Golden Horn LP. And I made footnote mention of it on each part. Billy was an absolute monster at cleverly, beautifully and smoothly harmonizing melodies. Ray Anthony's "Skylark" is a little gem of an example. Mike DiMartinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07699378772805162043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6853772569125614798.post-77172360203112027542018-01-26T16:39:11.153-08:002018-01-26T16:39:11.153-08:00Just last week, I visited the Schomburg Center in ...Just last week, I visited the Schomburg Center in New York City where Nat Cole's collection is housed. They don't allow photocopying or photographing of music, so I had to write out whatever I needed. In the collection are the original parts for the May arrangement of "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," as well as a new set copied out later by Vern Yocum because the originals were marked up beyond use. Writing out and recreating a score allows you to commune with the arranger; it is as if there is no barrier between his brain and yours, and no recording can bring the communication any closer. Writing out May's beautiful parts and seeing them combined into an incredible whole just reaffirmed the genius of the man. He was just amazing!!!jeffsultanofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03636503396292462358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6853772569125614798.post-68508862755103634792015-12-11T11:18:34.067-08:002015-12-11T11:18:34.067-08:00What a great article! The days of the big bands an...What a great article! The days of the big bands and Billy. Thank you.arooniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09493671203933438953noreply@blogger.com