Andy Williams was remarkable there. His hitting the center of almost every note without sounding mechanically precise was almost Fitzgerald-esque. Impressed me, anyway...
This really is terrific accompaniment. I didn't know Rowles by name as a musician but I realize I have a ton of recordings of his work now. In this performance, what strikes me is how he always knows how to find the space in the whole arrangement to delicately convey phrases and color without getting in the way of the whole performance or demanding attention.
When the orchestra kicks in, he moves up in the scale to dot in complimentary, perfectly timed and phrased accents. I do a bit of amateur music mixing, and it reminds me of how each track in a mix for each instrument serves a purpose and has to find its place within the audible spectrum and range of frequencies, and sometimes it's hard when working with recorded material to make a mix of good individual tracks/performances blend well so that sounds don't compete with or crowd each other.
Good mixes are clean, even ones that creatively employ distortion, and Jimmy's playing sits in the live performance mix really "clean." Good mixing is hard, but here this guy is, finding spaces in the overall sound perfectly in real time with virtuoso command of chords, expressions, and phrases, with a lot of variety that is never showy and always fits within the dynamic and evolution of the performance. You could teach a music theory class just walking through the different chordal and modal expressions he effortlessly deploys here.
Everything about that performance is beautiful. I sometimes watched that show (in my youth), and always thought Williams was a good (if a bit corny) singer. But this video shows him to be a sensitive jazz balladeer with gorgeous tone and phrasing. And Rowles's accompaniment is a jazz singer's dream. Accompanying singers doesn't get the love it deserves in the jazz world--but we singers know. Thanks so much for sharing this.
As a singer, what I felt from this was the absolute trust that the pianist has for the singer, and vice versa. It's not exactly atempo, but there's no hard pocket, and the pianist clearly understands the singer's interpretation, which is gorgeous. As is the accompaniment. So many times I've had to fight the needs of a rhythm section that won't listen. What a treasure this is. I'm not a big fan of Williams, but he definitely shows his chops here. Thank you for sharing this, and for your analysis.
This was quite special - thanks for sharing it, Ted! I agree with your assessment 100%.
Also, singing a ballad such as this with only piano accompaniment for an extended time was not too rare on network television shows of that era.
This was possible because so many performers, including Buddy Greco, Johnny Mathis, Vic Damone, Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, Nat Cole and others were major headliners who often performed with a full orchestra or a big band, and for their longer engagements often they often brought not just their musical director, but a complement of key musicians on the road.
What came of this was a large-ish pool of capable musicians skilled in this art/style in nearly every large town in the US with whom those singers could perform with confidence.
But Jimmy Rowles’ sensitivity, prodigious harmonic vocabulary, and most crucially, his ability to “breathe at the piano” with singers and other musicians was extraordinary.
Wow - so great! The other thing about the video is that, unlike many performance settings where the vocalist and pianist are right next to each (making it easier to follow and communicate), it seems like they're far apart. Beautiful, thanks for sharing.
Is there a tip jar for your Twitter feed? It's surprising, delightful, informative - and non-stop(!) Along with everything else, the amount you get done is amazing.
I watched Andy Williams show with my family every week. I found him kind of monotonous, but his sweaters were nice and his wife was French & gorgeous. He reaches new heights here… So amazing that you knew Jimmy Rowles: the composer of one of my favorite songs ever: The Peacocks. Thx, Ted
Re: the Golden Age of Rock with Horns - producer Chris Thomas did wonders with horns on two neglected records that I think are masterpieces - Wish You Were Here by Badfinger, and Grand Hotel by Procol Harum. It's also impossible to imagine writing about this without mentioning Forever Changes, not to mention John Entwhistle's contributions to The Who's music.
Another great Rowles accompaniment is to Norma Winstone doing "Where or When" from the album Well Kept Secret - which both, sadly, are. The solo alone is unsurpassing in its subtly and nuance.
I'm old enough to remember a time in our culture when the role of the public intellectual was an active element in our lives. Thank you for your insightful and inciting writing. I don't know if you entertain requests, LOL, but I would appreciate a thumbnail sketch from you about the general economy of the music industry. I am curious about how drastically things have changed for both the owners of the means of production and the producers themselves. There have been streams of income ranging from record sales to live performance to songwriting royalties to broadcast fees and now to streaming (sort of). Is it true that acts now basically rely on concerts and merch, with cd sales and streaming as mostly loss leaders? Forgive me if you've already covered this. Again, love your writing.
Andy Williams was remarkable there. His hitting the center of almost every note without sounding mechanically precise was almost Fitzgerald-esque. Impressed me, anyway...
This really is terrific accompaniment. I didn't know Rowles by name as a musician but I realize I have a ton of recordings of his work now. In this performance, what strikes me is how he always knows how to find the space in the whole arrangement to delicately convey phrases and color without getting in the way of the whole performance or demanding attention.
When the orchestra kicks in, he moves up in the scale to dot in complimentary, perfectly timed and phrased accents. I do a bit of amateur music mixing, and it reminds me of how each track in a mix for each instrument serves a purpose and has to find its place within the audible spectrum and range of frequencies, and sometimes it's hard when working with recorded material to make a mix of good individual tracks/performances blend well so that sounds don't compete with or crowd each other.
Good mixes are clean, even ones that creatively employ distortion, and Jimmy's playing sits in the live performance mix really "clean." Good mixing is hard, but here this guy is, finding spaces in the overall sound perfectly in real time with virtuoso command of chords, expressions, and phrases, with a lot of variety that is never showy and always fits within the dynamic and evolution of the performance. You could teach a music theory class just walking through the different chordal and modal expressions he effortlessly deploys here.
Really great find and link to share. Thanks!
Everything about that performance is beautiful. I sometimes watched that show (in my youth), and always thought Williams was a good (if a bit corny) singer. But this video shows him to be a sensitive jazz balladeer with gorgeous tone and phrasing. And Rowles's accompaniment is a jazz singer's dream. Accompanying singers doesn't get the love it deserves in the jazz world--but we singers know. Thanks so much for sharing this.
As a singer, what I felt from this was the absolute trust that the pianist has for the singer, and vice versa. It's not exactly atempo, but there's no hard pocket, and the pianist clearly understands the singer's interpretation, which is gorgeous. As is the accompaniment. So many times I've had to fight the needs of a rhythm section that won't listen. What a treasure this is. I'm not a big fan of Williams, but he definitely shows his chops here. Thank you for sharing this, and for your analysis.
This was quite special - thanks for sharing it, Ted! I agree with your assessment 100%.
Also, singing a ballad such as this with only piano accompaniment for an extended time was not too rare on network television shows of that era.
This was possible because so many performers, including Buddy Greco, Johnny Mathis, Vic Damone, Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, Nat Cole and others were major headliners who often performed with a full orchestra or a big band, and for their longer engagements often they often brought not just their musical director, but a complement of key musicians on the road.
What came of this was a large-ish pool of capable musicians skilled in this art/style in nearly every large town in the US with whom those singers could perform with confidence.
But Jimmy Rowles’ sensitivity, prodigious harmonic vocabulary, and most crucially, his ability to “breathe at the piano” with singers and other musicians was extraordinary.
Wow - so great! The other thing about the video is that, unlike many performance settings where the vocalist and pianist are right next to each (making it easier to follow and communicate), it seems like they're far apart. Beautiful, thanks for sharing.
For the "The Golden Age of Rock with Horns (1966-1977)" article, it would be cool if you covered the Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life" (1966).
Andy was a stunning singer of almost unlimited vocal ability. This is an equally stunning accompaniment. It’s everything you say it is!
Is there a tip jar for your Twitter feed? It's surprising, delightful, informative - and non-stop(!) Along with everything else, the amount you get done is amazing.
Ted, I'm trying to subscribe, but Substack won't let me use a new debit card.
I watched Andy Williams show with my family every week. I found him kind of monotonous, but his sweaters were nice and his wife was French & gorgeous. He reaches new heights here… So amazing that you knew Jimmy Rowles: the composer of one of my favorite songs ever: The Peacocks. Thx, Ted
Re: the Golden Age of Rock with Horns - producer Chris Thomas did wonders with horns on two neglected records that I think are masterpieces - Wish You Were Here by Badfinger, and Grand Hotel by Procol Harum. It's also impossible to imagine writing about this without mentioning Forever Changes, not to mention John Entwhistle's contributions to The Who's music.
Another great Rowles accompaniment is to Norma Winstone doing "Where or When" from the album Well Kept Secret - which both, sadly, are. The solo alone is unsurpassing in its subtly and nuance.
& from tiny Spokane in my state of Washington…!
My Lord, that’s beautiful! Thanks, Ted.
I'm old enough to remember a time in our culture when the role of the public intellectual was an active element in our lives. Thank you for your insightful and inciting writing. I don't know if you entertain requests, LOL, but I would appreciate a thumbnail sketch from you about the general economy of the music industry. I am curious about how drastically things have changed for both the owners of the means of production and the producers themselves. There have been streams of income ranging from record sales to live performance to songwriting royalties to broadcast fees and now to streaming (sort of). Is it true that acts now basically rely on concerts and merch, with cd sales and streaming as mostly loss leaders? Forgive me if you've already covered this. Again, love your writing.