Topzy
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Background:
Our version of the Count Basie hit "Topsy" (Durham/Battle) from 1937 is a deliberate attempt to momentarily leave the absurdistic approach of our earlier songs, and instead create a "pure swing numberg", where the analogue synths interpret the big band instruments of the original (in the spirit of - no quality comparison - e.g. Tomita's synthesizer renditions of classical music). For those alarmed by this, we have to point out that this is not to be considered "our new style", rather a way to make our stylistic palette broader. The piece we recorded after this one, "Trickeration", should make this clear.
Sound Sources:
Other Equipment:
Zoom Studio 1201 effect processor
Ye Olde Acoustic Guitar (Greenulator vocoder-modulator)
Audio Technica microphone (Greenulator)
Yamaha WX-7 Wind Controller
Interesting Facts:
The SHotQ version follows the original almost exactly, at least structure-wise:
Harry "Sweets" Edison's opening trumpet solo is here replaced by SH-101 cv/gate-controlling the Microcon, which acts as "wah growl" with LFO-modulated filter and wah pedal.
The following baritone sax solo, originally played by the modernistic but slightly spastic Jack Washington, is here played on the WX-7 controlling the DX-100, the sound of which has been made meatier by the Zoom auto-filter. The futuristic MIDI-wind-thingy WX-7 was a new tool for us, and required a lot of stubborn reharsal from the player.
Thereafter a characteristic Basie solo, again delivered by the little DX-100 but played from another keyboard, for the sake of velocity sensitivity. In this part, we can also clearly hear the Greenulator, a guitar/synth/vocoder-configuration aimed at emulating the legendary rhythm guitarist Freddie Green.
After a brief drum fill (Jo Jones, today impersonated by our own "SHotQ JazzMachine" mod for ReBirth) follows the powerful final chorus, where everyone really "blow". Herschel Evans tenor sax bridge was taken out and replaced with a growling Microcon, distorted through the Zoom.
A concluding vamp with far away trombones (SH-101) leads to the end, where the trumpet section performs a "stepped swell" with hats as mutes (Nord Lead).
For the insanely interested, we have made a "Track Sheet" that graphically describes the song structure and instrumentation.