It is one thing to visit the Streisand scoring stage and to talk to the legendary composers who still survive from this legendary series. This UNCLE anniversary weekend is extraordinary already for all that has transpired. But big thanks to Jon Burlingame for setting up a 50 minute concert tomorrow night from the music of Jerry Goldsmith, Gerald Fried, Robert Drasnin, Morton Stevens, etc. What a finale!
Did they play any of Hugo Montenegro's arrangements? The first UNCLE album he did - the red one - is my single favorite Man from UNCLE release ever, and is easily in my top ten spy music albums of all time. What an amazing record.
Did they play any of Hugo Montenegro's arrangements? The first UNCLE album he did - the red one - is my single favorite Man from UNCLE release ever, and is easily in my top ten spy music albums of all time. What an amazing record.
Jon said they were practically all original charts and I don't remember him mentioning a Montenegro arrangement. On the other hand the night was heavily influenced by the Montenegro albums. Many of the numbers Jon compared the titles used on those albums to the original cue titles. It FELT more like a night of cool jazz with arrangements by Schifrin, Fried, Drasnin, etc. with quite a few "source cues". In fact the only Goldsmith arrangement I recall was the love theme.
A night to remember.
Quite a weekend to remember. And talk about goodie bags....
I couldn't attend the event because I was doing another event, but I got to have breakfast with Gerry this morning, and he said he had a marvelous time over the weekend and especially enjoyed the concert. His friend (and director) Alex Singer stopped by, probably familiar to many for his directing on three STAR TREK series. The only downside was when Mr. Burlingame stopped by unexpectedly and tried to bum bacon and sausages from everyone's plate... Still it was a lovely way to start a Sunday! Wanted to upload a photo, but my website's server is having ftp problems... Perhaps later.
This entire weekend (which many have said compared favorably to ANY such weekend including STAR TREK ones) was totally put together by Robert Short, whose history with UNCLE and industry experience reaches far and wide indeed.
And, as Robert Short declared, the responsibility for all things musical (including his dream of a lifetime concert) was totally in Jon Burlingame's lap. And Jon managed to create THE topper to a weekend filled with once-in-a-lifetime toppers.
Jon Burlingame moderating the composer's panel with Lalo Schifrin and Gerald Fried.
Was Robert Drasnin there? He is still working, or at least he was until recently.
Almost, at 86 Drasnin slipped and felt in the bathroom. In the hospital he insisted on being released for this event. But like Morricone and his fall, his doctors insisted he stay in the hospital. I'm hoping his fall isn't as dramatic on his life as Ennio's was.
Was Robert Drasnin there? He is still working, or at least he was until recently.
Almost, at 86 Drasnin slipped and fell in the bathroom. In the hospital he insisted on being released for this event. But like Morricone and his fall, his doctors insisted he stay in the hospital. I'm hoping his fall isn't as dramatic on his life as Ennio's was.
Almost, at 86 Drasnin slipped and felt in the bathroom. In the hospital he insisted on being released for this event. But like Morricone and his fall, his doctors insisted he stay in the hospital. I'm hoping his fall isn't as dramatic on his life as Ennio's was.
I am sorry to hear this. Drasnin has been working on another exotica album. I heard him interviewed about six months ago on Luxuria and he sounded great.
I saw him in 2005 conduct his entire "Voodoo" album top to bottom. Spent a while talking to him. Real sweetheart of a guy.
