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lonelyangel · 04-09-2004, 05:26 AM

G'day Ozzie mates.

Some more information about this piece - which is one of my favourites (and a frequently requested favourite of John and Leigh at the Eclipse factory: "go on Noel, play Orange Juice again"). It is originally a concerto written by the Spanish composer Rodrigo for guitar and orchestra - a beautifully evocative orchestration which paints aural pictures of a lazy, sultry night in the spanish countryside. There are countless recordings of this original orchestral work and it is well worth checking them out and adding at least one to your CD collection.

However, for trumpet players and jazz fans there is really only one place to go and that is the 1959 album Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. The first track of which is Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio) in what I consider to be the defenitive performance and arrangement of this classic work. Its great to compare and contrast the original orchestral arrangement with Gil Evans' sensetive and inspired interpretation - how many bigband arrangers have ever used castanettes with such success I wonder?

The whole album is wonderful but worthy of special note is the playing of Ernie Royal and Bernie Glow in the trumpet section - the Daddies of the NY session scene at the time. I also love it because it is a big band with no saxophones! t As well as 4 trumpets and 2 trombones, there are 3 french horns, a tuba, 2 flutes, oboe, bass clarinet, bassoon, harp (but no piano) and Paul Chambers on Bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums and Elvin Jones on percussion! This album is one of a trio of collaborations between Miles and Gil including Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess which redefined the sound of the modern big band. I think this album is also noteworthy because of Miles's use of the flugelhorn - which I believe was virtually unknown as a jazz instrument at that time! Please - go and buy this album!!!

However, this music is also well known to a lot of people from different sources. It forms the introduction section of the piece 'Spain' by Chick Corea - although that is sometimes omitted in some arrangements of the piece. Al Jareau also does a version of Spain - complete with the Aranjuez introduction - with a very evocative lyric. This version is also worth a listen - in fact i can no longer hear the tune without recalling the first line of the song, "Yesterday, just a photograph of yesterday".

All the best, Noel.

04-09-2004, 05:26 AM	#12 (permalink)
lonelyangel Pianissimo User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: London Posts: 196	Sketches of Spain G'day Ozzie mates. Some more information about this piece - which is one of my favourites (and a frequently requested favourite of John and Leigh at the Eclipse factory: "go on Noel, play Orange Juice again"). It is originally a concerto written by the Spanish composer Rodrigo for guitar and orchestra - a beautifully evocative orchestration which paints aural pictures of a lazy, sultry night in the spanish countryside. There are countless recordings of this original orchestral work and it is well worth checking them out and adding at least one to your CD collection. However, for trumpet players and jazz fans there is really only one place to go and that is the 1959 album Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. The first track of which is Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio) in what I consider to be the defenitive performance and arrangement of this classic work. Its great to compare and contrast the original orchestral arrangement with Gil Evans' sensetive and inspired interpretation - how many bigband arrangers have ever used castanettes with such success I wonder? The whole album is wonderful but worthy of special note is the playing of Ernie Royal and Bernie Glow in the trumpet section - the Daddies of the NY session scene at the time. I also love it because it is a big band with no saxophones! t As well as 4 trumpets and 2 trombones, there are 3 french horns, a tuba, 2 flutes, oboe, bass clarinet, bassoon, harp (but no piano) and Paul Chambers on Bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums and Elvin Jones on percussion! This album is one of a trio of collaborations between Miles and Gil including Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess which redefined the sound of the modern big band. I think this album is also noteworthy because of Miles's use of the flugelhorn - which I believe was virtually unknown as a jazz instrument at that time! Please - go and buy this album!!! However, this music is also well known to a lot of people from different sources. It forms the introduction section of the piece 'Spain' by Chick Corea - although that is sometimes omitted in some arrangements of the piece. Al Jareau also does a version of Spain - complete with the Aranjuez introduction - with a very evocative lyric. This version is also worth a listen - in fact i can no longer hear the tune without recalling the first line of the song, "Yesterday, just a photograph of yesterday". All the best, Noel. __________________ Noel Langley - Eclipse Artist noel@eclipsetrumpets.com Eclipse Medium Yellow, scratch gold Eclipse Medium Heavy Red, custom 'Diamond Back' in 24ct gold Eclipse Red Brass Flugel Custom Scherzer piccolo with copper Wedgewood bell, finished in scratch gold Giardinelli 6S, 6M, 6FL Bach 3CW