Reg Tilsley - Scheherazade

Theres Nothing like a good melody ~ and this is nothing like a good melody Boom! boom! . This one is up there with the classics Ifcopods lament not being first out of the blocks on TUBE with the Rimsky Korsakov version Reg Tilsley recorded in mid 1960s . Dont you love it? You dont? a raincheck on your musical responses is advised
The thing about a string orchestra ~savour the distant perspectives not crowding the landscape. The human voice requires focussed attention ~ there are plusses but human voice too specific for this sort of music needing the infinitesimal variety of orchestral colouring ~ as the mind craves landscapes evoking distant places The tune has been around the houses one of the most celebrated in classical canon.Somewhere in my collection resides a copy by American jazz arranger Skip Martin jazz trombone in attendance~ which naturally I cant locate ~ but its there somewhere..Done a little differently perhaps a tad soupy. but ifcopod resolutely declines criticising the arranging prowess of Skip Martin who featured throughout 1950s watch for his name on movie scores from the era. Later he joined Sinatras Reprise Repertory for early 1960s stuff~ I had known the Skip Martin Schererazade a lot longer than the Tilsley version~ Martin did an arrangement of the full Scheherazade suite with a big jazz band in tow sporting the stellar Hollywood brigade from the era 1959 two leading trombonists Frank Rosolino( in the top ten of all trombonists ) and Milt Bernhardt. they shared some great stereo effects together on the album~ stereo still a novelty in late 1950s but first and foremost two great trombonists. I like repeating this snippet Bernhardt was soloist on Sinatras I 've got you under my skin. What a boast compiling a CV but this Tilsley version of the Scheherazade slow movement ~if anything is the one to choose ~ not overly done in the arranging department..In fact Reg Tilsley deserved kudos for his orchestral arrangements which if marketed differently could have achieved greater fame though posthumously his reputation grows courtesy of U Tube
Of course Scheherazade is classical music at least thats their story. I remember once (upon a time) the idea of" schmaltzying" the classics was frowned on mainly by males dont ya know but if your musical template includes rock jazz making the leap across is a doddle and while youre at it try some old style heavy rock
.My favourite orchestral Old Devil Moon is by Michel Legrand but Tilsley's on U Tube deserves more attention a serious contender as guitar and flute snake through the textures ~ lush and lazy replete with telling instrumental l touches. perfect companion to his Scheherazade.