Mellansnacket
(as read by Bengt Falke)
Thank you.
Due to the fact that there are very few programmable synthesizers
on stage tonight, all the members of the Swedish Hot Synth Quintet
are quite busy between songs. Therefore, they have asked me to say
a few words.
What we just heard, was the Swedish HotSynth Quintet's rendition
of "The Stampede", originally recorded by the Fletcher
Henderson Orchestra in 1927.
For those of you who have never heard of Fletcher Henderson, he
was a pianist, arranger and also one of the first band leaders to
gather a larger jazz band, with written parts.
For this reason, he is often known as "the father of big band
jazz".
His great jazz band included talents such as the tenor sax man Coleman
Hawkins - tonight impersonated by mr Beskberg on the Roland SH-101
- and cornet player Rex Stewart - here played by mr Ramberg on the
MiniMoog.
The Swedish Hot Synth Quintet will play two more tunes for us,
before we proceed to the dinner table.
The next song is a classic boogie number, which has been recorded
in many different fashions - from small jazz combo, to big band,
to 60s soul, to Jamaican Ska.
The Swedish HotSynth Quintet has chosen to do a straight eight-beat
rhythm boogie version - for the simple reason that the drum machine
has no swing or shuffle function.
Ladies and Gentlemen - all aboard the Night Train!
2
Before we move on the third and final song, I have been asked
to assure you that there is no sequenced or pre-recorded material
during this concert!
Therefore, any mistakes are all due to human error - not malfunctioning
software or tape recorders! The Swedish HotSynth Quintet likes to
think that this adds an air of authenticity, as well as a slightly
nervous, creative tension to the performance.
One of the members in the Quintet has told me he is especially
nervous before this last song, because he will play a solo on the
fantastic Theremin. This is not the easiest thing - especially in
front of such a special audience.
However, being very nervous when playing a Theremin solo is not
necessarily bad - if your hands tremble, you will automatically
get a nice vibrato.
Anyway, the final number is a ballad.
Written in 1933 by Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen for the show "Cotton
Club Parade", it soon became a big hit for the singer Lena
Horne.
It has been featured in several motion pictures, and recorded by
a large number of artists.
The version we are about to hear contains quotations from An
American in Paris by George Gerswhin, and the Firebird Suite, by
Igor Stravinskij. Also, it is somewhat inspired by the synthesizer
recordings of classical music made by the great Isao Tomita.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Stormy Weather.
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