I’ve had quite a few questions regarding Matt Dennis the composer mentioned in my previous post, “New KN7000 Songs”. My recollections of Dennis were when he was playing at the Captain’s Table, a supper club just down the street from my photo studio on La Cienega Blvd. in L.A. In doing a Google search I found the following:

VOICES FROM THE PAST: Matt Dennis

I am not one who believes that everything that happened fifty years ago was good and everything that happens today is bad, but in the field of popular music, for my taste, at least, it is a truism. There was a glorious period between Rudy Vallee and the Beatles which was a golden age in every sense of the word. The writers were extraordinary, the big bands were wonderfully disciplined organizations, and along with them there were what we used to call "Lounge Singers."

They were different from "Saloon Singers," mostly in that they accompanied themselves on piano, and very often worked alone. Cabaret Performers, who formed a second leg of the triangle, were different; they often put together a program of music that told a story, and usually talked with the audience about the songs as they performed them. The lounge singers sang all types of popular music, and one could not estimate how many there were in the world at their peak. They worked in Cocktail Lounges, and if you were of a mind to do it, you could sit at the bar and nurse a 50 cent bottle of beer for most of the evening without feeling the least bit intimidated. There were dozens of them in every major city, and at least one in all small towns.

Two of the very best in that bygone time were Matt Dennis and Bobby Troup. They worked mostly in Los Angeles, and both of them made a few recordings, but they never caught on in the kind of big way that is necessary to stay in the public eye - or ear - these days. They and the others like them inspired no cover charge, no music charge and no minimum. They were there, courtesy of the management, and in that simpler time, no one thought anything about it. It never occurred to us that it was an era that would pass away. We expected it to go on forever. And in one sense it can. Their recordings are very hard to find, but if you persevere, you can do it, at a price. About fifteen years ago I decided that I would find a record from each of them that I remembered from the 1950's, and I did, although I could not buy the record. I had to settle for an audio tape, which meant I have none of the graphics on the albums, thus no picture of either one. There was an unusual record store on West 44th Street in Manhattan which specialized in hard to find items. It had been in business for a long time, and its secret was that the owner had a friend who had an extensive, and I mean extensive, collection. When someone came in asking for a specific record, he would call his friend and if the friend had it, they would make a tape and sell it the customer. It was obviously a breach of copyright, but it could not have been a secret, and apparently everyone who could be expected to be concerned about it just looked the other way. All of the records that they sold on that basis were out-of-print, and perhaps those who look after such things - and they have the eyes of eagles and the temperament of barracudas - thought it might help the singers if they could still be found in the market.

Copyright blockhead.com

Matt Dennis passed away in June of 2002 at the age of 89 leaving us with:
"Violets For Your Furs", "Free For All," "Will You Be Mine?," "Let's Get Away From It All," "Everything Happens to Me" and "Angel Eyes".

Frank

Frank, what a beautiful story. You always come up with something out of the ordinary.

Doug

Frank .... Thank you .. I don't know how or why (except that I was exposed to GOOD music from a young age) but I remember hearing of Matt Dennis and Bobby Troup ....
thnx agn,
t.

Frank,again thank you for the styles you so kindly E'd to me a few days ago. Your story in Matt Dennis I loved to read because his work has been featured a great deal by Sheet Music magazine. Dick Bergin

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Hi Frank, What a joy to luckily pop in (unexpectantly) to the SZ Technics forum today to read your wonderful story & background material on: Matt Dennis & Bobby Troup. I promise to include a favorite Matt Dennis tune & Bobby Troup tune too, when I perform for your: 'Central Coast Organ & Keyboard Club' next month (3/14th). hint: everything happens to me on the trip to California. - Scott

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http://scottyee.com

Having just read Frank's biogrophy of Matt, and having done a bit of research, if any UK members would like to get hold of some of his music the following link should be of interest:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/sear...4604008-0666014

By the way, before you ask, I've played merrey hell with the credit card and ordered the lot - a nice addition to our collection.

Regards,

Lucy

Hi Frank,

I very rarely contribute anything to The Forum, but do pay the occasional visit. How nice it was to read your story of music from the 20's-50's period. But isn't it strange, (and yet marvellous), that even though we may all say we like the music from a certain period, within that framework there are many forms of music, some of which we like, and others not.

I say this because, the songs you listed in regard to Matt Dennis, were titles I've never heard of. To me, the definitive popular music of this period, was the music of the greats such as - Gershwin-Porter-Warren-Berlin, and all those wonderful composers one associates with 'Tin Pan Alley'.

The music of these people can still be played in any style, within the compass of one's ability. So, one minute 'Hello Young Lovers' can be the romantic ballad as intended, the next, played as a soft slow Bossa, or jazz. And surely, this is the real beauty of the music of this period. it could be musically interpreted in any style that took the fancy. And of course, still can be.

Finally, we 'oldies' are continuously be-moaning the awfulness of today's modern pop. But surely what we should be doing, is giving thanks and gratitude, for having lived in the time warp of such wonderful music. That we were privileged to have listened to the big bands, the jazz musicians, the vocalists, and the compositions of these great composers. Who are the lucky ones. ? We 'oldies' who have this musical inheritance, or today's youngsters, who it would seem, will have no worthwhile inheritance to pass on. ??

Thank you Frank, for stirring up the waters of melody, jazz, and ability. We live in an age, where actual playing ability and talent, is little thought of. Or even recognised. ! And our wonderful machines do nothing to enhance actual musical talent. The machine does it for us. We cheat. You're not 'playing' if you step record something. you are cheating. You are 'buffering' you own lack of ability. I don't think Oscar Peterson did. !!!

Colin.

Colin, very nice post and great reflections. If I may, I would like to toss in a thought after shuffling through the dust of this planet for many years. Cheating? Cheating is the thought! You say you are not playing if you step record something. Your are cheating. I agree with your first statement. If you are step recording you are not playing. That’s right! You are just step recording. You would be doing what you are able to do. After doing it for a while you might become very good at it. If you enjoy music very much, and that was your way to it’s enjoyment because of little other talent, so what? The man is not cheating but enjoying what he is capable of doing. Not lazy or buffering his lack of ability but applying himself to his own ability and enjoying it. His way to the enjoyment of the same music you enjoy expressing it within his own capabilities. I wonder if Oscar Peterson knew how to spell step-recording of even knew what it meant or even could do it?

Quote: “And our wonderful machines do nothing to enhance actual musical talent”.
Strange!!! I played tenor sax and clarinet, for a little more than forty years, in a dance band. When the band broke up about fourteen years ago, I luckily ran across the likes of an arranger keyboard. Heard it, liked what I heard and bought me one. There is no way you could ever lead me to believe that this wonderful machine never enhanced my musical talent. Other than those two small points I enjoyed reading your thoughtful post.

By the way, Franks one finger talent on his keyboard has provided me and many of my listeners with tons of enjoyment when I take my break time on my wonderful little KN machine playing my gigs. Ruthie also kind of swoons over Franks approach to music interpretation and his choices of instrument selection. I agree and not just because I learned a long time ago it is advisable to agree with her, and more healthy, but I really agree.

Doug

OH DEAR!
I’m guilty as charged. I use every bit of technology that’s available to record the sounds that are in my head. Having started playing quite late in my life, the one finger chord was a God Sent bit of help. Now with the 7K it is only necessary to memorize the Augmented, Diminished, Extended, Altered and Suspended chords, and still use the one finger for major, minor and 7th chords. Oh dear, I use Technichord, because I simply can’t play legato ensemble parts smoothly enough to sound like violins, violas and cellos all bowing together. And, I must tell you I slow the tempo on parts that are too difficult for me to finger at the proper tempo and then later speed them up. I reach deeply into the Global and Parts Effects to enhance the sounds that I admit I edit to suit that sound that I hear inside. GUILTY, guilty as charged.
Frank

Hi Doug and Colin,

I read your post several hours ago, Doug, then moved on. I agreed with your thoughts on cheating and whether or not your keyboard has or has not enhanced your musical talent. For some reason my mind would not let go of those issues. They kept coming back in my thoughts, so I've finally decided to add my two cents worth to get a couple of things off my chest.

No one cheats when using an arranger keyboard - ever. Are we playing pure piano like Oscar Peterson? Of course not! But then that is not what an arranger keyboard is all about. It is about sampled sounds and employing technology to create music. Oscar couldn't write or play a drum track on his Steinway, nor could he split his keyboard and play four distinctly different voices simultaneously. Oscar is truly one of the greats - at the piano. I take issue with anyone who tags a person as a "cheat" who has produced a musical composition using technology built into his or her keyboard.

My keyboard has enhanced my musical knowledge, technology skills, and playing ability. Period! Or, "Full Stop" as my British friends would say. Like you, Doug, I have an extensive musical background that began 67 years ago when I had my first lesson on a trombone. I played in marching bands, concert bands, and symphony orchestras. I also taught my self to play the trumpet, baritone, bass guitar, and electric guitar. Now I am learning to play a keyboard. I could swivel my desk chair around right now and begin playing my Roland HP-3000 88-key piano but I won't. I couldn't make the music my keyboard makes even if I was Oscar Peterson. I love my keyboard.

I guess if one is a purist, one sees things differently. Oscar Peterson's artistry at the piano was unquestioned. The quality and variety of music my KN produces is equally unquestioned. One cannot compare apples and oranges and that is what one does when one compares Oscar Peterson to a step-recordist. I have some Oscar Peterson scores and I dare say if I step recorded them they would sound pretty terrific coming out of my KN speakers.

Colin, I think your music is beautiful and I've said so in personal e-mails to you. I play it frequently. You recorded it using technology built into your keyboard. That is exactly what a step-recordist does. Uses the technology to produce music. The only difference is the technological method used.

Just my thoughts.

Chuck