Softly Wild and Something Else

Softly Wild and Something Else

ASIN: B000B6TRNO

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Johnny Richards was a man of convictions. Hearing the Richards aggregation, one can feel the leader's expansive expressiveness working. His main goal was the creation of interesting, stimulating music, not music of any particular kind. Recorded in Hollywood, August 1956 and New York City 1959. 18 tracks. Fresh Sound. 2005.

Softly Wild and Something Else,Johnny Richards Orchestra,Fresh Sounds Records,Jazz,Pop,Progressive Jazz,United States of America

Average customer rating:

A Must Have CD

Toe-tapping stuff

Softly Wild and Something Else
Johnny Richards Orchestra
Manufacturer: Fresh Sounds Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music
General | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000B6TRNO
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Waltz, Anyone?
For All We Know
Dimples
Band Aide
Turn Aboot
Burrito Borracho
Long Ago and Far Away
Aijalon
Walk Softly
Run Wild
Way You Look Tonight
Laura
Tempest on the Charles
Sunday's Child
Alone Together
Three Cornered Cat
You Go to My Head
Yemaya

Album Description

Johnny Richards was a man of convictions. Hearing the Richards aggregation, one can feel the leader's expansive expressiveness working. His main goal was the creation of interesting, stimulating music, not music of any particular kind. Recorded in Hollywood, August 1956 and New York City 1959. 18 tracks. Fresh Sound. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have CD.......2006-07-24

Wow. This CD of 2 albums blows my mind. I should have heard this music years ago. I can't stop listening to it. The musicianship, particularly on Something Else, is insane. The compositions and arrangements range from hot to subtle. Richards can flow a 12-tone intro into a sultry Latin ballad, and integrate the themes throughout. There are crazy swinging fugues punctuated by tympani. Then again, mellow haunting melodies reach out and carry you off to another place. What a fascinating soundscape!

I discovered Kenton albums containing Richards charts back in high school in the '80s, when we played Kenton arrangements in stage band and an arrangement of "La Suerte de los Tontos" in marching band. A few months ago, I started listening to the mellophonium orchestra bonus tracks on Cuban Fire again, wanted more Richards, found Softly Wild and Something Else, and ordered it on a whim. I can't believe I had never listened to Richards' orchestra before. This CD has been a revelation.

This music may not be for everyone, particularly those who at the one extreme don't get large jazz groups, or those at the other who are looking for straight ahead big band. Very little is linier in Richards' sonic world. I've seen Richards compositions described as flamboyant and idiosyncratic but instead find them extraordinarily expressive. And this is not big band; it is truly jazz orchestra. There are so many Latin and classical influences on this music. It is easy to hear the impacts of romantic orchestration techniques and 20th century harmony. If you are looking for a sophisticated example of later large ensemble jazz, this is the stuff.

Toe-tapping stuff.......2006-03-07

Johnny Richards fans can toss their 1956 Bethlehem BCP6011 'Something Else' LP now that Fresh Sounds have wisely re-issued on CD the greatest jazz orchestra record of the fifties. He is mainly known for his arranging work with Stan Kenton but eight albums (all available on CD) were released between 1955 and 1966 under his own name.

Richard's arranging and composing skills really come across in the eight tracks on Something Else plus he got the best names around to play in his orchestra. I can't hear three of these too often, Dimples, Band Aide and Turn Aboot. This last one is so typical of his creative output, the composition is tight and has a little intro before the musicians surge into a swinging beat and frequently the melody is arranged to lead into a solo spot for trumpet, trombone or a sax.

The other ten tracks (six are Richards originals) on this great CD are from the 1959 Coral album 'Walk Softly...Run Wild' but overall I don't think they quite have the drive and energy so evident on Something Else. The recording also, I think, lacks the depth and presence of the Something tracks. Whoever was the engineer on that session in August 1956 really knew his stuff.

For his other six albums look out for the excellent three-CD box set 'Mosaic Select: Johnny Richards'. The material is really wide ranging, from classical sounding pieces, pure jazz orchestral swing and rhythmic interpretations of native dances.

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