Percussion From Melody To Madness - Dick Schory

 

Caravan

Percussion!

From Melody To Madness

Music To Break Any Mood

Dick Schory's New Percussion Ensemble

Produced by Bob Bollard

Recored in Orchestra Hall, Chicago

Recording Engineer: Lew Layton

RCA Victor LSP-2125 RE

1960

Instrument Inventory: Piano, Celesta, Sting Bass, 2 Guitars, 2 Banjos, Harp, Complete Dance Outfit, Piccolo, Xylophone, 3 Standard Xylophones, 4 Marimbas, 4 Vibraphones, 3 Sets Orchestra Bells, 2 Sets Chimes, Tuned Cow Bells, 12 Timpani, Piccolo Snare Drum, Tenor Drum, 2 Alto Snare Drums, Field Drum, Concert Bass Drum, 4 Tuned Tom Toms, 3 Conga Drums, 2 Sets Bongos, Timbales, 6 Tuned Rhythm Logs, Claves, Guiro, Maracas, Boo Bam, Soprano Steel Drum, Alto Steel Drum, Bass Steel Drum, Tambourine, 3 Woodblocks, 4 Triangles, Castanets, Temple Blocks, Wind Machine, Small, Medium and Large Gong, Giant 6-foot Gong, 5 Suspended Cymbals, Double Cymbals, Antique Finger Cymbals, Sleigh Bells, Slapstick, Police Whistle, Siren Whistle, Assorted Sound Effects

From the back cover: The fact is, this is an album which can establish or shatter (as you wish) a great gamut of moods – for yourself or an expendable friend. It's especially good for getting rid of wholesome guests or keeping incorrigibles entertained.

And it's all down with new percussion sounds: some soft and caressing (Autumn In New York, Speak Low), others big and wild (Safari Anyone?, South Rampart Street Parade). Instruments include virtually everything which can be stroked, plucked, poked or banged.

Some, in the trade, have called this America' first bang-along record. We earnestly hope it won't start a movement of proportions similar to the recent sing-along fad. Even though twelve virtuoso percussionists are hard a work on twelve pop songs, there is really only a moderate amount of banging going on. At least half the selection feature creamy vibes and lush harp arrangements. Most are extremely danceable – at least for those who have had a recent physical checkup.

The Gong On The Cover 

The bangs, when they do come along, go all the way. You'll hear the gong on the cover in the first number, Caravan. It is not the girl's gong. In fact, she was not even at the session – unfortunately. If it were her gong, she would jolly well known better than to get so close.

After striking the monster there is an extended period while it "revs up" and one can hear this awesome sound wash out over the vast acoustic cavern of Orchestra Hall in Chicago. Once it has spoken, the mighty vibrations roll out strong and low for minutes afterward. Finally, our engineer had to deliberately fade the gong; otherwise the prolonged reverberation would have run into considerable overtime. Three men with three puffy cushions quieted the giant down sufficiently to start the next "take". Those brave enough to stand nearby said they experienced an almost indescribable pleasure. With the highest fidelity equipment, similar sensations have been reported in the home with this record. To our knowledge nothing like this has ever been offered on disc before.

Who Did It

Lew Layton, the engineer who's responsible for some of our most glistening symphonic recordings from Boston, Chicago, Rome and New York, said he felt as if he had a souped-up jet job under his instrument panel. We trust his experience with Walkin' My Baby Back Home will have no untoward effect on his next Beethoven cycle.

Every selection was a completely new production with different microphoning, new scrimmage formulations for the players – even new instrumentation (percussionists double on everything). Modern recording musicians are used to music they've never seen before. In this case they'd never seen some of the instruments before either... a musical steel oil drum from Trinidad, for example. There were, in all, over one hundred instruments (see inventory), known and unknown, out to hard use during the two days and night spent in making this album.

We flew Phil Krasu specially from New York for the sessions. He's the vibe solo on I'll Remember April, the timpani melody on Caravan, the bongos on Safari Anyone? Dave Black was already in Chicago appearing with Bob Scobey's band. He's the dance beat on rhythm drums most of the way, with a special contribution on Fly Now, Pay Later. Frankie Rullo stars on vibes, xylophone, bongos, cow bells, rhythm drums – anything we put in front of him. The rest of the team included Hubert Anderson, Earl Backus, Jose Bethancourt, Russel Crandell, John Frigo, John Gray, Donald Knapp, Martin Rubinstein, Robert Wessberg and David Poskonka.

The idea of making lush quiet music with hammers or beating up a storm with sticks, is second nature to Dick Schory, our leader. He just naturally expresses himself with mallets. In addition to masterminding the musical adventures of his New Percussion Ensemble, he also drums a wide swath through: The Chicago Symphony, radio and TV commercials, and the Ludwig Drum Company. Dick is one of those who keeps several careers boiling at once. You might see (or more likely, hear) him any place in the country. He might be conducting percussion seminars as Educational and Advertising Director of Ludwig in one city, giving a serious concert with his boys in the next, or doing a TV jazz program in yet another. There are very few who better understand the chain reactions of combining percussion colors and rhythms – an explosive specialization which Schory says he can express most fully on recordings. – Bob Bollard

Caravan - Arranged by Irwin Kostas

Speak Low - Arranged by Willis Charkovsky

South Rampart Street Parade - Arranged by Mike Simpson

Walkin' My Baby Back Home - Arranged by Mike Simpson

Fascinating Rhythm - Arranged by Russ Case

Safari Anyone? - Arranged by Gilbert Stones

A Foggy Day - Arranged by Mike Simpson

Autumn In New York - Arranged by Irwin Kostas

Fly Now, Pay Later - Arranged by Gilbert Stones

I'll Remember April - Arranged by Russ Case

Tortilla - Arranged by Mike Simpson

Stranger In Paradise - Arranged by Gilbert Stones