@@paulbond1484 I watched it but it could definitely do with a new proper more complex one since the great don was complex and diverse. thought the same about a new documentary some time ago, still do
Played Don Ellis and Hank Levy/Stan Kenton arrangements through high school. Even got a change to play Pussy Wiggle Stomp for Don at a two band shoot-out/seminar Don invited us to at Glassboro State College. That was a real treat. Got him to sign my PWS sheet music.
Don Ellis was a genius. No one else's band played in those off the wall meters yet still swung like crazy. My favorite: Bulgarian Bulge from Tears of Joy. I'm a studied drummer and after hundreds of listenings I still can't nail it.
I was very fortunate, in 1974, Don Ellis came to my college to do a clinic with our jazz band in which I played lead trumpet. It was a great educational experience working with the multi meter jazz charts in 5/4, 7/4, 9/4, 10/8 etc! He was such a great guy and gave all of us tremendous confidence in our playing. After the concert with Don our jazz band had a party; everyone was sipping beer and wine, but right there in the middle of it all was Don Ellis drinking a glass of milk! It was shortly after this he started having heart problems. It was sad to see him pass away so soon. The jazz world certainly misses him.
I was lucky to have a similar experience. He brought the band to town and all the high school jazz groups in the area attended. Then we broke out into smaller groups (sax player with the sax players etc.). It made a huge impression on all those who were there. What a great thing to do and inspire young players.
Played this many, many years ago...swing in 7/4 time...still will sing it while walking and walk real funny whilst doing so! Great chart!!! R. I. P. Don.....
Just after he died I went to work at Bell Labs in Holmdel NJ. They had a terrific big band and I became the leader after year. I bought a bunch of these charts and played them at noontime concerts in the lab auditorium. Those concerts were always packed houses. I think the odd time signatures appealed to the audience of engineers and scientists. Great times!
The advanced stage band played this back in HS days, every time at was rolled out at contests it gave instant wins! That beginning with the clapping still rings in my heart 47 yrs. later.
There is a fun story Don Ellis liked to tell. He had an ethnomusic fellowship. He came home and charted some 6-8 and 8-12 tunes. His band said, "You can't play this Sh*t!" He loaded a tape of little kids from Turkey playing this same stuff.
You're right. One of the greatest catalyzers of modern music, not only jazz, so brilliant, so inventive, effortlessly leading his big band to magical rhythmical dimensions and melodic evolutions never heard before. He passed away earlier than untimely, he could have given so much more to all music enthusiasts. That's why I have one smiling and one crying eye at the end, as we say in Germany for "mixed feelings".
Five years ago, almost to the day, an Ellis reunion concert took place in L.A.. It featured many of the performers in this video. They played a lot of stuff that Don had recorded toward the end of his career, but topped it off with this one, his true signature piece. I was there, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I have watched this video many many times and I still get a lump in my throat each time I do. It was a tremendous loss for all of us when when Don was taken away from us, but even so we were very lucky to have had him even if only for a short while. And from a distance of many miles and thirty five years I find myself loving Ruth Ritchie more and more. I tend to press the pause button when thay have a close up of her.
I am a massive don ellis fan and have every album I can find.thanks for the interesting fact about don dying at 44.the only thing he played in 4/4 time was take 5.he was a great musician.
"I should also add that this was "The Electric Band" that I believe Glenn Stuart was leading when Don was ill. Ellis then reappeared a year before his death and went all out basically telling his doctors to go to hell... "I'm go'in out in style! Incredible, masterfull.. thanks!
tweetmeister: Look on BGO Records website, you'll find quite a few Don Ellis recordings. Always remember if you want to clear people at a part put on their version of "Hey Jude" That should do it.
I saw the thumbnail for this video while looking for a solution to a generator problem. Not familiar with this cut, I asked myself what could be more mind blowing than Turkish Bath? Gaaaawd dang! Thank so much for this out of sight posting. Yeah, I'm old enough and go I back enough dedcades to be say that phrase(smile). Ain't no shame in my game. I thought, my favorite, Turkish Bath, was ridiculous(meant in high praise), this is ridiculous times ten. God bless you Don Ellis for making sure we smile and laugh we when listen to your works. God bless you for having some of us awkwardly tapping our feet and clapping our hands while filled with the joy and the love of the music you gave us to listen to. You did your appointed job, my man, and we are better for it. Rest in peace, Don Elllis and thank you for the gifts and love of music you left behind.
WONDERFUL!!! I bought the album when it came out. Still wonderful all these many years later!! Fantastic video, capturing the sheer enjoyment this band had and gave.
Just been following the links to Don and found this, it's made my day. First time I've seen the band play after following his music since the 70's, I hope more clips keep turning up.
The great Glenn Stuart on lead trumpet, I stayed with him at his house in laguna beach and had a trumpet lesson, I also spent a wonderful day of sailing to Catalina island on his boat, he passed away in very tragic circumstances.
Looks like a young Ted Nash on alto. We played together that same year in the Monterey All Star High School Jazz Band. Hank Levy was our guest arranger that year! George Duke, Clark Terry and Benny Golson were our guest artists! What a great week at the Monterey Jazz Festival!
It's a thrill to see this video. In July, 1972, our high school jazz band played "Pussy Wiggle Stomp" at the Montreux Jazz Festival! I was one of the drummers who performed. I'd like to believe Don Ellis heard about us performing this song in Montreux 5 years earlier, so he wanted to do it too. I doubt it. Thanks for posting this, although it took me 9 years to find it. LoL
I have a hard time watching this because every time I do my eyes get so full of tears, that seeing becomes difficult. There has been only one Don Ellis. Thank God there was one and we were lucky enough to have had him. My friend likes to tell a story that the only thing Don ever did in 4/4 was an an arrangement of Take Five.
Very cool to see this. I played lead trumpet on this piece with my high school jazz band. Needless to say,it was great to watch and hear it done properly here!
A little irony - I played this in my high school jazz band, like many of you. However, unlike all of you, the bass player in my high school jazz band was Leon Gaer, who appears in this video as a member of the Don Ellis band. He must have learned a lot in high school.
Must have been a great band. We had a kick-ass stage band in high school too with a very progressive director (who happened to be a very good trumpeter). We had the great privilege of participating in a two band clinic at a local college hosted by Don Ellis where we got a chance to play Pussy Wiggle Stomp for him. The two bands were also given a private ensemble concert in the evening by Don. I wish I could remember who else was in that ensemble. Looking back on that now, I can't believe how fortunate I was to have had that opportunity.
I love the music of levy. It's amazing. My high school jazz band is playing three levy charts this year: chain reaction, rock odyssey, and whiplash. It's sweet
If I find them (and I have looked), I will come back and ping you on this. I'm not 100% sure that I have them but every time I open a box, I look for them -- the curse of moving again and again and again...
Thanks for posting this. The Tuba player (Jim Self) is from my hometown of Oil City, PA. Mr. Self was also the "voice" of the mothership in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
It's a Flugelhorn with a 4th valve that functions a bit like the 1st trigger on a bass trombone or the 4th valve on some tubas (lowers the series a fourth). If you listen to his solo on one of the tunes on "Tears of Joy", he descends down the scale to a pedale low f# and back up with it.
Someone has loaded the studio version from the original album, and the live version from the 1970 Montreux album, but this is my favorite version!!! Totally get to feel the vibe, see the thrill. What a great tune!!! Thanks, TONS, for uploading!
My highschool jazz ensemble opened w Final Analysis and also did Hank Levy tunes, stuff from the Towson St. Jazz Ensemble. are band director was totally hip. turned me on to Don/Fillmore and his book. Saw him in NY@ Avery Fisher w George Duke on solo piano. Don had a string quartet within the orchestra and was playin stuff i never heard before. i remember it sounding like music from angels. he passed after that. 'least i got to see him once. sombody please put up Hey Jude from the Fillmore! hysterical!
Thanks so much for posting this video. I've got the Atlantic recording of Don Ellis live at Montreaux (released 1978) and always wondered what the concert footage looked like! What a treat.
Good posture in trumpet section! They are using the stance taught by Maynard. Note the page turn 2nd trumpet makes at 7:26. Whoever he is he displays the best stance of all of them. Biviano took this to the extreme too.
Thank you for posting this! I stumbled upon the "Live at the Fillmore" album in an antique shop in Stockholm in the mid 80s and have been a fan of Don's ever since. I have been scanning You Tube for years for videos of this band and I am so happy to have found this!
I saw this great band at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC around this time. After a particularly impressive piano solo, Don said "Randy Kerber - remember that name." And I always did. And damned if he hasn't become one of the busiest pianists, orchestrators, and composers in recent American cinema. He's got a Wikipedia page that I can't link to here, but his did indeed become a name to remember.
People always go on about Zappa's odd time signatures but Don Ellis did it with a 30 piece band. In about a six month time in 70 or 71 I went to see Zappa first and as a drummer was duly impressed. A few months I went to see the Don Ellis big band during "The Tears of Joy" period, not one piece in 4/4 He did Bulgarian Bulge (33/16) and I said to myself that's how it should be done!
I first got to know about Don Ellis through a German documentary about the making of Pussy Wiggle Stomp, which I saw on TV at the time, in 1970 or 1971 (?). The documentary was fascinating, all-encompassing, with a lot of individual chats with all the musicians, many practice takes of the band rehearsing the PWS movements, it was a complete education about music and Don Ellis' philosophy, goals and ambitions. I've only just been thinking about trying to find that documentary, it's got to be somewhere, but so far no easy hits via Google. Pussy Wiggle Stomp never left me, just love that 7/4, swinging like crazy, proving that we do not need to have our music measured out in 4/4 all the time!
Need to share with you the music of the West African band Osibisa which I discovered while in 'Nam years ago from a buddy who turned me on to their music...
My college jazz ensemble at CWRU in Cleveland opened for 2 concerts by The DEO. Our director, Bob Curnow, was a former bandmate of his in Stan Kenton's band.
to continue.... As far as the young band goes - yes there was a major turnover before the Star Wars/Montreux projects and finances did play a big part in it - but the band at the time of that "big shift" again, was many bands down the road from the Columbia years. In a nutshell, over the years, there were lots and lots (and lots and lots) of players that did stints with the Don Ellis Band. Oh and I agree with you regarding PW on Fillmore - that's my favorite version as well.
ok i was there. i played in ellis b band on my bass. loved this guy. rip in 7. this was exciting as mostly i played 4/4. i used all my fingers and toes to keep da rhythm.
I loved how PWStomp sounded like a game show intro. Don Ellis did a blues tune with a Beethoven (Moonlight Sonata) intro in 11/8 "called blues in elf". it's funny how dropping a beat each measure slightly changes the feel.
Actually there were many versions of the band between the end of the Columbia years (and even during those years for that matter) and the Montreux band. In fact, Glenn, Chino and Jack being in the Montreux band was more a function of them having returned to the band after fairly significant absences than them being the "lat men standing". As for the moniker given the band on the "Star Wars" album - that was a bit of nonsense penetrated by the current manager, and was never embraced after that.
I hear you man. Don was...well what can you say? Can you imagine what he would be doing now? He had first heart attack in 75 or 76....They were able to restart his heart and he was told he'd "never play again." Well, that didnt' last long. But two years later, he passed away. I never saw him play live and these videos of the band in Montreux are incredible. Totally different than what I imagined! And why didn't they include this on the CD release???
David Crigger! Thank you for the reply! I nearly met Don as he was scheduled to come to my HS for our 1979 jazz band conference. ('78 we had Randy Purcell) and I was chosen to pick him at the airport (in my '79 Honda Civic). Unfortunately, he died just weeks before the event. I was absolutely crushed, never having met him or seeing him perform live. Thank goodness there is more Ellis material on TH-cam. Where are you playing now?
No, this concert has never appeared for sale on DVD. The entire concert is posted on this channel (though some tracks have been blocked by the record label) with the exception of the "Star Wars Theme" that started the concert and possibly "The French Connection" walk-on segment - both lost to missing and un-viewable video.
So glad that more and more Don Ellis stuff keeps surfacing. He deserves a proper documentary movie
There is indeed one. Seek out "Electric Heart". I own it on DVD.,
@@ChrisMezzolesta Not available anywhere as far as I can find ... not even on a torrent.
@@paulbond1484 I watched it but it could definitely do with a new proper more complex one since the great don was complex and diverse. thought the same about a new documentary some time ago, still do
His work with George Russel and Eric Dolphy was intense and great.
Played Don Ellis and Hank Levy/Stan Kenton arrangements through high school. Even got a change to play Pussy Wiggle Stomp for Don at a two band shoot-out/seminar Don invited us to at Glassboro State College. That was a real treat. Got him to sign my PWS sheet music.
My high school jazz band is currently playing three levy charts this year. It's awesome. We're playing rock oddesy, chain reaction, and whiplash.
+Trevor Perkins LUCKY!!
hanklevyjazz.com
I played lead at Jersey City State in the 70's - we played this in Montreaux - I am stunned that no band plays Levy and Don's stuff !!!!
@@trevwings9438 GREAT charts - I met Levy and Don a few times and played these in college . Teaching the audience to clap in 7 was fun ! ! !
Don Ellis was a genius. No one else's band played in those off the wall meters yet still swung like crazy. My favorite: Bulgarian Bulge from Tears of Joy. I'm a studied drummer and after hundreds of listenings I still can't nail it.
I was very fortunate, in 1974, Don Ellis came to my college to do a clinic with our jazz band in which I played lead trumpet. It was a great educational experience working with the multi meter jazz charts in 5/4, 7/4, 9/4, 10/8 etc! He was such a great guy and gave all of us tremendous confidence in our playing. After the concert with Don our jazz band had a party; everyone was sipping beer and wine, but right there in the middle of it all was Don Ellis drinking a glass of milk! It was shortly after this he started having heart problems. It was sad to see him pass away so soon. The jazz world certainly misses him.
I was lucky to have a similar experience. He brought the band to town and all the high school jazz groups in the area attended. Then we broke out into smaller groups (sax player with the sax players etc.). It made a huge impression on all those who were there. What a great thing to do and inspire young players.
I played a clinic at UT in 1971. The UT Jazz Giants with me on second trumpet.
As an 80 year old.. Still diggin' Ellis! Ain't dead yet!
Paul Bobkowski
Hope you're still doing well, Paul.
@@robotm99 Yes I am , still play my Ellis sides! Thank you.
Played this many, many years ago...swing in 7/4 time...still will sing it while walking and walk real funny whilst doing so! Great chart!!! R. I. P. Don.....
+bugler1304 Funky walkin'.
Quite a limp you've got there.
Gone way too soon. We both studied with Mel Broiles at the Met , on C level - LOL !!!
Just after he died I went to work at Bell Labs in Holmdel NJ. They had a terrific big band and I became the leader after year. I bought a bunch of these charts and played them at noontime concerts in the lab auditorium. Those concerts were always packed houses. I think the odd time signatures appealed to the audience of engineers and scientists. Great times!
The advanced stage band played this back in HS days, every time at was rolled out at contests it gave instant wins! That beginning with the clapping still rings in my heart 47 yrs. later.
There is a fun story Don Ellis liked to tell. He had an ethnomusic fellowship. He came home and charted some 6-8 and 8-12 tunes. His band said, "You can't play this Sh*t!"
He loaded a tape of little kids from Turkey playing this same stuff.
Lmmmmaaao
Can anyone watch this video and not smile at the end? What a genius.
You're right. One of the greatest catalyzers of modern music, not only jazz, so brilliant, so inventive, effortlessly leading his big band to magical rhythmical dimensions and melodic evolutions never heard before. He passed away earlier than untimely, he could have given so much more to all music enthusiasts. That's why I have one smiling and one crying eye at the end, as we say in Germany for "mixed feelings".
Five years ago, almost to the day, an Ellis reunion concert took place in L.A.. It featured many of the performers in this video. They played a lot of stuff that Don had recorded toward the end of his career, but topped it off with this one, his true signature piece. I was there, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I have watched this video many many times and I still get a lump in my throat each time I do. It was a tremendous loss for all of us when when Don was taken away from us, but even so we were very lucky to have had him even if only for a short while. And from a distance of many miles and thirty five years I find myself loving Ruth Ritchie more and more. I tend to press the pause button when thay have a close up of her.
I discovered Don Ellis in a record store, playing, in 1970 and fell in love at age 18!
Wow! Thanks for posting this. Don Ellis fan all of my life. Unfortunately I was born too late to ever see his orchestra for myself.
I am a massive don ellis fan and have every album I can find.thanks for the interesting fact about don dying at 44.the only thing he played in 4/4 time was take 5.he was a great musician.
"I should also add that this was "The Electric Band" that I believe Glenn Stuart was leading when Don was ill. Ellis then reappeared a year before his death and went all out basically telling his doctors to go to hell... "I'm go'in out in style! Incredible, masterfull.. thanks!
I am on my 3rd copy of "Live at Fillmore" now. Getting hard to find. Don Ellis was such a genius!
tweetmeister: Look on BGO Records website, you'll find quite a few Don Ellis recordings.
Always remember if you want to clear people at a part put on their version of "Hey Jude"
That should do it.
I saw the thumbnail for this video while looking for a solution to a generator problem. Not familiar with this cut, I asked myself what could be more mind blowing than Turkish Bath? Gaaaawd dang! Thank so much for this out of sight posting. Yeah, I'm old enough and go I back enough dedcades to be say that phrase(smile). Ain't no shame in my game. I thought, my favorite, Turkish Bath, was ridiculous(meant in high praise), this is ridiculous times ten. God bless you Don Ellis for making sure we smile and laugh we when listen to your works. God bless you for having some of us awkwardly tapping our feet and clapping our hands while filled with the joy and the love of the music you gave us to listen to. You did your appointed job, my man, and we are better for it. Rest in peace, Don Elllis and thank you for the gifts and love of music you left behind.
WONDERFUL!!! I bought the album when it came out. Still wonderful all these many
years later!! Fantastic video, capturing the sheer enjoyment this band had and gave.
So lucky and blessed to see him and his band play in 1974.
Just been following the links to Don and found this, it's made my day.
First time I've seen the band play after following his music since the 70's, I hope more clips keep turning up.
The great Glenn Stuart on lead trumpet, I stayed with him at his house in laguna beach and had a trumpet lesson, I also spent a wonderful day of sailing to Catalina island on his boat, he passed away in very tragic circumstances.
After listening to "33 222 1 222" this song almost counts itself. I could swear I saw people unsquare dancing to this in the aisles.
Yes. Don Ellis was one of the very few who could match singable melody and odd time and make it sound totally naturally and right.
Looks like a young Ted Nash on alto. We played together that same year in the Monterey All Star High School Jazz Band. Hank Levy was our guest arranger that year! George Duke, Clark Terry and Benny Golson were our guest artists! What a great week at the Monterey Jazz Festival!
Yes, that's Ted.
Fantastic listening! This guy certainly pushed back the barriers and helped drag big band jazz into the modern world
The best title of a song ever by a fantastic musician. RIP Don. You are remembered.
Something to note: Ralph Humphrey (one of the drummers on Don Ellis at Fillmore) went on to play with Zappa from 1973 to 1974.
It's a thrill to see this video. In July, 1972, our high school jazz band played "Pussy Wiggle Stomp" at the Montreux Jazz Festival! I was one of the drummers who performed. I'd like to believe Don Ellis heard about us performing this song in Montreux 5 years earlier, so he wanted to do it too. I doubt it. Thanks for posting this, although it took me 9 years to find it. LoL
It makes me so happy seeing a crowd clap in seven-time.
Maynard Ferguson meets Frank Zappa!
I don't think Don could blow as high and hard as Maynard.
Maynard was a total freak.
Don spent some time on Maynard's band in the late '50s or early '60s. Maynard always had great respect for his musicality and work ethic.
I have a hard time watching this because every time I do my eyes get so full of tears, that seeing becomes difficult. There has been only one Don Ellis. Thank God there was one and we were lucky enough to have had him. My friend likes to tell a story that the only thing Don ever did in 4/4 was an an arrangement of Take Five.
Saw him twice in the 70's when promoting Live at The Fillmore and then with Tears of Joy and the string section. He was incredible.
Eine tolle Big Band und ein Don Ellis in Höchstform, schade dass er schon lange nicht mehr unter uns weilt
Very cool to see this. I played lead trumpet on this piece with my high school jazz band. Needless to say,it was great to watch and hear it done properly here!
A little irony - I played this in my high school jazz band, like many of you. However, unlike all of you, the bass player in my high school jazz band was Leon Gaer, who appears in this video as a member of the Don Ellis band. He must have learned a lot in high school.
Must have been a great band. We had a kick-ass stage band in high school too with a very progressive director (who happened to be a very good trumpeter). We had the great privilege of participating in a two band clinic at a local college hosted by Don Ellis where we got a chance to play Pussy Wiggle Stomp for him. The two bands were also given a private ensemble concert in the evening by Don. I wish I could remember who else was in that ensemble. Looking back on that now, I can't believe how fortunate I was to have had that opportunity.
I love the music of levy. It's amazing. My high school jazz band is playing three levy charts this year: chain reaction, rock odyssey, and whiplash. It's sweet
+Trevor Perkins Don Ellis came to my high school and played with our jazz band in 1973. Amazing. Somewhere I have the concert on tapes...
+FranzStasse Please dig them out. I'd love to remaster them. I have all the studio resources.
If I find them (and I have looked), I will come back and ping you on this. I'm not 100% sure that I have them but every time I open a box, I look for them -- the curse of moving again and again and again...
I'll post up what I have. Live From Redlands.
As for Levy, check out hanklevyjazz.com
Thanks for posting this. The Tuba player (Jim Self) is from my hometown of Oil City, PA. Mr. Self was also the "voice" of the mothership in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
SO GLAD to see this on TH-cam! Played this in a college jazz band in the early 70s. Now I do it fingerstyle guitar.
Excellent lead trumpet. He's pumping out dozens of his
high Gs
(F concert pitch)
That's hard work
Crazy cool - played this chart in college at the Philadelphia Musical Academy and feel in love with Don Ellis
What a Masterpiece of a Composition! The Band smokes something fierce...... percussion is at point !
It's a Flugelhorn with a 4th valve that functions a bit like the 1st trigger on a bass trombone or the 4th valve on some tubas (lowers the series a fourth). If you listen to his solo on one of the tunes on "Tears of Joy", he descends down the scale to a pedale low f# and back up with it.
Someone has loaded the studio version from the original album, and the live version from the 1970 Montreux album, but this is my favorite version!!! Totally get to feel the vibe, see the thrill. What a great tune!!! Thanks, TONS, for uploading!
DAS MAIORES BIG BAND DE TODOS OS TEMPOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DON ELLIS, SEMPRE CLASSE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My highschool jazz ensemble opened w Final Analysis and also did Hank Levy tunes, stuff from the Towson St. Jazz Ensemble. are band director was totally hip. turned me on to Don/Fillmore and his book. Saw him in NY@ Avery Fisher w George Duke on solo piano. Don had a string quartet within the orchestra and was playin stuff i never heard before. i remember it sounding like music from angels. he passed after that. 'least i got to see him once. sombody please put up Hey Jude from the Fillmore! hysterical!
Martin Pirint Thanks Marty! It was a great time!
If that concert is the one that started at 1:30am, I was there.
Martin: I've had that Fillmore album since 1971, and you are correct.
The world needs to hear that particular Beatles cover.
Thanks so much for posting this video. I've got the Atlantic recording of Don Ellis live at Montreaux (released 1978) and always wondered what the concert footage looked like! What a treat.
Rock in my back. 😢
300 chrislyer....❤
As one person said, "Isn't it ironic that this cat played in 5/4, 7/4, 33/16 time...but he died at the age of....44? 4/4?"
He skipped a beat...
Good posture in trumpet section! They are using the stance taught by Maynard. Note the page turn 2nd trumpet makes at 7:26. Whoever he is he displays the best stance of all of them. Biviano took this to the extreme too.
Dave ... the be a t. You can dee😢😢😢
Thank you for posting this! I stumbled upon the "Live at the Fillmore" album in an antique shop in Stockholm in the mid 80s and have been a fan of Don's ever since. I have been scanning You Tube for years for videos of this band and I am so happy to have found this!
Toooooo Gooooooood!!!!!!!
Perfect! I look forward to see/hear more of Don and his band
I saw this great band at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC around this time. After a particularly impressive piano solo, Don said "Randy Kerber - remember that name." And I always did. And damned if he hasn't become one of the busiest pianists, orchestrators, and composers in recent American cinema. He's got a Wikipedia page that I can't link to here, but his did indeed become a name to remember.
People always go on about Zappa's odd time signatures but Don Ellis did it with a 30 piece band. In about a six month time in 70 or 71 I went to see Zappa first and as a drummer was duly impressed. A few months I went to see the Don Ellis big band during "The Tears of Joy" period, not one piece in 4/4 He did Bulgarian Bulge (33/16) and I said to myself that's how it should be done!
Played this in college stage band in 1972. Don Ellis Orchestra gave a concert there. Wild, inventive music.
I first got to know about Don Ellis through a German documentary about the making of Pussy Wiggle Stomp, which I saw on TV at the time, in 1970 or 1971 (?). The documentary was fascinating, all-encompassing, with a lot of individual chats with all the musicians, many practice takes of the band rehearsing the PWS movements, it was a complete education about music and Don Ellis' philosophy, goals and ambitions. I've only just been thinking about trying to find that documentary, it's got to be somewhere, but so far no easy hits via Google. Pussy Wiggle Stomp never left me, just love that 7/4, swinging like crazy, proving that we do not need to have our music measured out in 4/4 all the time!
always good to see some more Don ellis coming about - so sad there was not enough recorded and kept at the time!
I had the pleasure of doing a gig with David Crigger and WOW, what an awesome drummer -hope I can work with him again sometime
Need to share with you the music of the West African band Osibisa which I discovered while in 'Nam years ago from a buddy who turned me on to their music...
My college jazz ensemble at CWRU in Cleveland opened for 2 concerts by The DEO. Our director, Bob Curnow, was a former bandmate of his in Stan Kenton's band.
And the amplification via the pick up in the mouth piece not at the bell🎺🇺🇸🎺
My brother cant share...never could
You. Are sellf ish. That's what mom knows... Pull your head out.... R
Kit
Where did all the unused 8s go? ;)
Bulgarian Bulge!
Wow, this is good. I have this on LP, what a genius.....
what a wonderful musician he was, I miss his inspiration
Beautiful!
Now that's a well drilled band! Makes me giddy. Music is the best!
to continue.... As far as the young band goes - yes there was a major turnover before the Star Wars/Montreux projects and finances did play a big part in it - but the band at the time of that "big shift" again, was many bands down the road from the Columbia years.
In a nutshell, over the years, there were lots and lots (and lots and lots) of players that did stints with the Don Ellis Band.
Oh and I agree with you regarding PW on Fillmore - that's my favorite version as well.
this is MUSIC
ok i was there. i played in ellis b band on my bass. loved this guy. rip in 7. this was exciting as mostly i played 4/4. i used all my fingers and toes to keep da rhythm.
Only Don could make 7 groovy as hell!
Baddest band that has ever existed!
Fantastic listening 1
We played this song back in Stage Band high school.
Dude... This is insane!
I didn't know Jim Snodgrass, but what baby faces on Ted Nash and Randy Kerber--wow! (Reseda High grads)
What a Hoot..!!
Don Elis!!!7 wow!Great.
Ware are you tenor ? Dave. 😮
I loved how PWStomp sounded like a game show intro. Don Ellis did a blues tune with a Beethoven (Moonlight Sonata) intro in 11/8 "called blues in elf". it's funny how dropping a beat each measure slightly changes the feel.
Actually there were many versions of the band between the end of the Columbia years (and even during those years for that matter) and the Montreux band. In fact, Glenn, Chino and Jack being in the Montreux band was more a function of them having returned to the band after fairly significant absences than them being the "lat men standing".
As for the moniker given the band on the "Star Wars" album - that was a bit of nonsense penetrated by the current manager, and was never embraced after that.
And BTW is currently the drummer of Dancing With The Stars
If you're referring to the big round thing Don plays through most of the middle section beginning with 4:53, that's a flugelhorn.
Brilliant
I hear you man. Don was...well what can you say? Can you imagine what he would be doing now? He had first heart attack in 75 or 76....They were able to restart his heart and he was told he'd "never play again." Well, that didnt' last long. But two years later, he passed away. I never saw him play live and these videos of the band in Montreux are incredible. Totally different than what I imagined! And why didn't they include this on the CD release???
Dat drum duo!
Heard the Band once here in Minneapolis. It was an unforgettable experience. Don died way too young
He added a quarter tone 4th valve.
David Crigger! Thank you for the reply! I nearly met Don as he was scheduled to come to my HS for our 1979 jazz band conference. ('78 we had Randy Purcell) and I was chosen to pick him at the airport (in my '79 Honda Civic). Unfortunately, he died just weeks before the event. I was absolutely crushed, never having met him or seeing him perform live. Thank goodness there is more Ellis material on TH-cam. Where are you playing now?
Genius is 7/4
AND its also ironic that he died of a disease that made his heart beat --- IRREGULARLY?
Believe it or not, I went to see him perform in a club in West Los angeles in the 60s. I think he was there every tuesday.
Gettin a groove is bad enough when people can't clap on 2 and 4, but hopeless when they can't clap 2,4,6,7!
The great Don Ellis.
No, this concert has never appeared for sale on DVD. The entire concert is posted on this channel (though some tracks have been blocked by the record label) with the exception of the "Star Wars Theme" that started the concert and possibly "The French Connection" walk-on segment - both lost to missing and un-viewable video.
Listen to the “small group” section @10:11 where the melody is passed back and forth. A weird little detail that Don threw in there…just because.
Looks like seven people couldn't clap in 7/8.
Jonas Butler the claps aren't on beat dude, at least not on 1
It's in 7/4 not 7/8.
I've read the chart. I know how it's written. It's better in 7/8.
Coool .❤❤❤