#neal hefti

[myost]

[now-playing] - ost - neal hefti - the odd couple - 1968

[sebengineer101]

Batman full theme song 1966

[oldshowbiz]

1967.

Not in a million years would you expect such a heavy, driving, hypnotic song to be on a soundtrack album that looks like this.

[mrbopst]

Genius

[1001albumsrated]

#9: Count Basie & His Orchestra + Neal Hefti Arrangements - Basie (aka The Atomic Mr. Basie, aka E=MC²), (1958)

You might be thinking "hey man, that's a lot of names" right about now, and let me tell you, it sure is. The album title situation is a mess on this one. The good Count had released an album titled Basie on his previous label, Clef, in 1955 (this album would also later be reissued under a different name). All pressings have the E=MC² at the bottom preceding the artist names, but it's unclear whether that was intended to be the title given the enormous BASIE up top, or some kind of subtitle or embellishment. In the late 60s they began tacking "The Atomic Mr." onto the top left of the cover, presumably to reduce confusion between the multiple self-titled releases. The artist line is fairly dense here too. Neal Hefti shares a typeface with the band, and deservedly so: in addition to arranging, he also composed all of the band's material in this period.

Count Basie should require little introduction. He's certified jazz royalty, dating back to the swing era of the 30s. As mentioned in the Ellington at Newport post, the 50s were a tough time for the big bands. Most folded, or labored in relative obscurity, relegated to playing smaller local events for an aging audience. This, like Ellington at Newport, is a rare example of a big band thriving in the 50s not by conforming to the new trend of bebop, but by simply being themselves at their best.

Neal Hefti deserves his laurels for this one too. He brought a younger set of ears to the band's music, while not compromising their original sound. If the name is tickling something odd in your memory, you may know Neal better for his time after the Basie Orchestra in LA as a film & TV composer. His biggest claim to fame is the classic surf-rockin' Batman TV theme, which I'm sure made him more money on its own than every jazz album he did combined.

Together, the two were unstoppable. Neal had a highly effective compositional approach of uniquely tailoring parts to the strengths of specific players in the band. Any other band playing the same charts wouldn't have sounded half as good. This method was also notably used by both Duke Ellington and Sun Ra in their approach to big band arranging to great effect (Sun Ra unfortunately gets the shaft entirely in 1001 Albums, despite being one of the most vital, prolific, unique, and challenging artists of the 20th century; I won't soapbox on this exclusion much right now, but rest assured it's coming). The sound Neal brought to the band would continue to be the driving force behind the Orchestra for decades to come.

Time for the million dollar question: MUST you hear Basie? For sure. This album's a classic, and for good reason. Like Ellington at Newport, there are stylistic elements that are dated, but the compositions and arrangements remain excellent today.

This is another one that I don't own purely because it hasn't crossed my path. As such, I listened in hi-res on Qobuz. Now you know.

Next time: more classic jazz, with Brilliant Corners by the one and only Thelonious Monk!

[mrsaito58]

I want to live the kind of life that has a Neal Hefti soundtrack.

[donospl]

Sullivan Fortner „Solo Game”

Artwork Records, 2023 Pierwsze solowe nagrania pianisty i kompozytora Sullivana Fortnera są jednocześnie jego debiutem w wytwórni Artwork Records. Album „Solo Game” to prawie 80 minut muzyki na dwóch płytach. “Solo” i „Game” to tak naprawdę dwa odrębne wydawnictwa, różniące się wykorzystanymi instrumentami, zaprezentowanym programem, podejściem do wykonania. Pierwsza z płyt zawiera fotepianowy…

[worldsfastestbear]

We've never heard a version of this with a vocal. It's also in a stereo mix.

The Odd Couple (Vocal) - Neal Hefti

[jazzdailyblog]

Neal Hefti: A Maestro of Musical Brilliance

Introduction: In the rich tapestry of music history, certain individuals stand out as luminaries, leaving an indelible mark on the world of sound. Neal Hefti, a name revered in the realms of jazz and film music, is one such maestro. With a career spanning decades, Hefti’s contributions have resonated across generations, influencing the very fabric of musical expression. This blog post will delve…

[beatleshistoryblog]

LECTURE 15: THE BARDS OF POP: The catchy tune “Taxman,” written primarily by George Harrison, was not the first song written by the so-called “Quiet Beatle.” He had written songs for the LPs With the Beatles, Help! and Rubber Soul. But “Taxman” represented a breakthrough of sorts, the opening track on the LP Revolver, which gave it a more prominent than Harrison’s previous songs. You simply couldn’t miss this song! George openly admitted that he had in mind Neal Hefti’s catchy theme to the TV show Batman when he wrote “Taxman.” The song, which contains an angry, almost bitter edge to it, was written by Harrison to protest the high levels of taxes under the Labour government of Harold Wilson, which was taxing the young English rockers at a staggering 90 percent of their earnings. “'Taxman' was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes,” Harrison later recalled. As a protest track, it veers sharply away from the love-themed songs that Harrison had previously written, and it greatly elevated his status as a songwriter for the Beatles.  Moreover, “Taxman” quickly became a favourite in the mod British psychedelic scene. (As an interesting aside, Paul McCartney performed the guitar solo on “Taxman,” which came to be regarded as one of the best on any Beatles album.)

[myost]

[now-playing] - neal hefti - boeing boeing - 1966

[sebengineer101]

RNZ Morning Report in the 1960s with Lyndsay Perigo and Peter Fry

[musicwithoutborders]

Neal Hefti & His Jazz Pops Orchestra, Li'l Darlin' I Jazz Pops, 1964

[babybeez]

Home now and in my Batman pjs

[eintausendschoen]

Fic rec for The 600 deserved strikes (57286 words) by madnurse Fandom: EPIC - Jorge Rivera-Herrans (Albums) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con Relationships: Odysseus/Poseidon (EPIC: The Musical), Odysseus & Poseidon (EPIC: The Musical), Odysseus/Zeus (EPIC: The Musical), Odysseus & Zeus (EPIC: The Musical) Summary: The situation had spiraled far beyond desperation. Odysseus, on the brink of finally returning to Ithaca to reunite with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, was met with a cruel and unexpected twist. Poseidon awaited him. The sea god, unyielding and vengeful, stood poised to finish what he had begun years ago. This time, there would be no escape. (It's a sequel to a one-shot, reading recommended, but it can be read standalone, too.)

Stellar storytelling and characterizations. It's more of a thriller than smut. If you can take a hefty dose of dark, and do enjoy being kept on the edge of your seat, gnawing your nails off, this is for you.

The author isn't on tumblr afaik, so no tag.

—

Do all my fic recs have fanart now? Guess so.

Poseidon's design is by neal-illustrator because it's the one referenced in the story. In my mind, his clothing items and water-arm adapt to his mood. If he's riled up, there's foam on the frills.