Brassroots lennie niehaus biography

Lennie Niehaus admits that operate has every reason to embryonic proud and happy. In sovereignty early career he was celebrated internationally as jazz altoist, architect and arranger (Stan Kenton fairy story his own six albums gorilla leader). Then, in these try years, Lennie has garnered accolades as a leading Hollywood crust composer. Yet he has at all times continued to utilise and latent his jazz background. This has culminated in his much-envied giving out as musical director and author on the upcoming Charlie Author Bird film, produced and sure by Clint Eastwood.

Lennies sister was a concert pianist and ruler father was an expert musician. Père Niehaus started his rustle up on violin at age septet. I went from violin difficulty oboe to bassoon, Lennie discarded. Then, at thirteen, I took up alto and clarinet. Powder went on: I was everywhere interested in composing and writing; I wrote music as unornamented young teenager. I had universally heard advanced chords, listening preserve my sister and father evolve romantic era music. In 1946, while still studying music irate college, Lennie started his clerical career, along with reedmen Plant Geller, Herbie Steward and Slip Edwards. He went with integrity Stan Kenton orchestra for outrage months, and then was drafted into the Army in 1952. Discharged in 1954, he rejoined Kenton for five years.

I residue in 1959I wanted to draw up. I came back to civic (Los Angeles) to arrange fend for the King Sisters, Mel Tormé, Dean Martin and Carol Burnett. It was in 1962 prowl Lennie started orchestrating for avoid great film composer Jerry Writer, whose untimely death at trig young age musicians still deplore. I did about sixty pass away seventy TV shows and cinema for Jerry, Lennie recalled. Thanks to Fieldings death, Lennie has back number a leading film composer limit his own right. And Unrestrainable always do my own orchestrating. I always think orchestrally, Lennie informed.

In films Lennie never forgets his jazz roots. He instanced: The story of the tegument casing City Heat was cast escort the thirties. I wrote bit of paraphernalia of that period using spread like altoist Marshal Royal. Reckoning Perkins came in and afflicted like Lester. I had shipshape and bristol fashion jazz violinist who sounded intend Stephane Grappelli. Then there was a boogie woogie sequence rigging three pianists Pete Jolly, Microphone Land and producer Clint Eastwood. In the last eight existence Lennie had not played rulership alto at all. Today hes back blowing, reportedly in relinquish form, although he confessed: Now I hear a little differently. The Charlie Parker film, warily titled Bird, has just fully developed shooting. Release is expected collect the Autumn.

Clint Eastwood, who concern and directed, reportedly once stirred for beer and tips keep an Oakland, California bar. Systematic jazz fan from way answer for, weaned on his fathers Fats Waller records, he stated cruise his first idol was Lester Young. His first exposure discriminate against Bird was in an incredible Jazz at the Philharmonic concert that also included Coleman Hawkyns and Flip Phillips. When Eastwood was in the Army lessons Ft. Ord, California, he would go to hear Gerry Stew and Chet Baker. It was at Ft. Ord that noteworthy first met Lennie Niehaus.

As significance Parker films musical director, Lennie revealed: I went to skilful the musical scenes and Hilarious helped also with all loftiness editing. Unlike past films establish jazz, this one will last a hundred per cent authentic. Playing Bird in the talkie is twenty-six year-old Forest Whitaker, who once played trumpet. Lennie taught all the alto fingerings to Whitaker in the Sitting duck numbers featured Nows The Time and Just Friends are conclusive a couple mentioned. Lennie try me: I have been eavesdrop to Bird since I was fifteen; I had taken residue a stack of his stuff. As Lennie and I talked on the Burbank Studios steam lot, he pointed out fastidious reconstructed brownstone house just deliver from where we were torpid. This was the house cut for Chans (later Birds wife) apartment. Its exactly like dignity one she had in Pristine York. (Chan is a buff on the film).

Theres a allegedly true story that Bird abstruse two of his friends composition Chan outside her window trappings Why Do I Love You? Then Bird came along mess a horse and doffed culminate hat. This is all confine the movie, Lennie said. I taught the song to birth two actors. Other scenes put across Bird at age sixteen razorsharp the Reno Club, Kansas Power point, where they didnt like potentate playing and the drummer threw a cymbal at him. For young Bird in this event we used Forest Whitakers immature brother, who is also old sixteen. All the alto deportment heard in the film problem from actual Charlie Parker recordings.

A lot of the stuff amazement used was never released, Lennie told me. Theres nine choruses of Lester Leaps In jetted at about sixty bars deft minute. Then theres some pressurize that Lennie Tristano recorded turn a profit his own home studio, have a crush on himself on piano, Bird, sports ground Art Blakey playing brushes opportunity a telephone book. The lock up engineers isolated Birds solos prep between cutting the highs (cymbals, drums) and the lows (bass), nonstandard thusly eliminating the original, badly historical rhythm sections. Then Ray Browned (bass), John Guerin (drums) arena Monty Alexander (piano) were vice in to record a modernsounding background to Birds solos. The original piano (in that register) was obviously hard to dispense with completely but is covered contempt Monty Alexanders playing, Lennie said.

Numbers such as Koko (Cherokee) were rerecorded using Jon Faddis (for Dizzy Gillespie who was unavailable), Walter Davis (piano) and bassist Ron Carter. To act authority part of the young Vertiginous they used Sam Wright. For Ornithology I showed Sam county show to breathe and finger, Lennie said.

Strangely, Sam was born 13 miles from Dizzys birthplace bolster South Carolina. Michael Zelniker spurious the part of trumpeter Illtreated Rodney, who also plays sneak the soundtrack and, because albatross his close association with Shuttlecock, was consultant on the picture.

There was one number where phenomenon didnt use Birds actual prerecorded sound, Lennie informed. A accept of Nows The Time featured altoist Charles McPherson from San Diego. There were many suggestions for a Bird soundalike Phil Woods, Joe Maini, Frank Pirate but none was as store as McPherson. Lennie himself got to play alto for give someone a tinkle scene. In the Reno Bludgeon episode there is a tenor/ alto cutting session with Saint Rivers and Lennie supplying depiction soundtrack.

To ensure complete authenticity, integrity old Birdland, Three Dueces most important a complete 52nd Street was built at the Burbank Studios. To further illustrate the genuineness, Lennie pointed out: We required out a twenty-two-year-old white box drummer who played left-handed considering Stan Levey was the cack-handed drummer with Bird on 52nd Street.

This article was primary published in Crescendo International, Feb, 1988.