Today is the 236th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Hard-core Marines (is there another kind?) might consider it heresy to create a jazz version of the Marine Corps Hymn. They would be wrong. A few months ago during a six-hour bus ride to a performance by the Marine Corps All-Star Jazz Band, Staff Sergeant Ken Ebo, the lead trombonist, wrote an arrangement of the hymn. The band is made up of the 18 best Marine jazz musicians. When they arrived to rehearse for their concert in Marquette, Michigan, they sight-read Sgt. Ebo’s brand new chart.
I hope that someday we can hear the extended version. The band’s tours are designed to increase awareness of the Marine Corps. They probably don’t need to tour Afghanistan.
For a memory of a special Marine friend, go to this Rifftides archive post.
The nonagenarian pianist presented de Barros with every biographer’s hope, unrestricted access to his subject’s personal papers and nearly unrestricted access to her private thoughts. He made the most of it, turning exhaustive research and hundreds of hours of interviews into a true story with the sweep of a novel. From the early discovery of McPartland’s musical gift through her wartime service, her ecstatic and stormy marriage to Jimmy McPartland, her growth as a pianist, her deep affair with Joe Morello, and the radio show that made her a national figure, she has had a fascinating life. It makes a splendid read.
Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band had three fewer musicians than most big jazz outfits. Its size permitted precision, flexibility and subtlety, yet the band had the power of sprung steel. In this concert from a half century ago, the CJB is as fresh as yesterday. Arrangements by Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn and Johnny Mandel set standards to which big band writers still aspire. Bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis inspired Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Gene Quill and Zoot Sims to some of the best soloing of their careers. This beautifully produced issue of the complete concert is a basic repertoire item.
Doug, your tribute to your Marine buddy is quite touching. I lucked out and got in there just between wars (U.S. Navy, 1955-57), but find it appalling now to see the way there is so much talk in Washington about cutting veterans benefits, in order to trim budgets. That seems like a really unjust way to to accomplish the necessary savings—today’s military volunteers put so much at risk in terms of life and limb, and so often lose their bets.
Cool, but different. Very different. (The clip)
Semper Fidelis