Nelson Riddle composed "Cross Country Suite" in 1958 for Buddy DeFranco, who wanted a composition to play at a Le Blanc Clarinet clinic. DeFranco said he "felt it should be a combination of a big band, jazz, and an orchestra . . . [and] it turned out to be one of the best things [Riddle] ever wrote." The suite was also one of Riddle's favorite projects, which he intended to showcase the be-bop clarinetist's brilliance.[2]
The Riddle/DeFranco partnership had its roots in the Swing Era. According to the album liner notes:[3]
They played with and wrote for some of [the era's] giants: Buddy with the bands of Charlie Barnet, Count Basie, Gene Krupa, and Tommy Dorsey; Nelson with those of Charlie Spivak, Bob Crosby, and Tommy Dorsey. It was with the Dorsey orchestra some years ago, in fact, that Cross Country Suite was really born. Riddle and Defranco were contemporaries in that organization; each came to feel that musically he had something to give the other, and they spoke often of such future collaborations as this.
"Cross Country Suite" has been performed on only a few occasions. Portions premiered under Riddle's baton at the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl on August 29, 1958, as part of a concert headlined by Nat King Cole. Nearly 50 years later, in 2006, Wooster College music professor Jeffrey Lindberg reconstructed the suite from incomplete manuscripts and his own transcription of the 1958 recording, and in 2007, conducted it with DeFranco and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. In October 2015, clarinetist Ken Peplowski performed excerpts in a concert at the Los Angeles Jazz Institute. The Wooster Symphony Orchestra performed the suite in its entirety in April 2016, with Paquito D’Rivera as soloist, at New York City's Symphony Space.[4] Abroad, the suite was performed twice by the Radio Television Eire Concert Orchestra of Ireland, in 2006 and 2007. Nelson Riddle's son Christopher was conductor of the 2007 concert.[5]
At the first Annual Grammy Awards held on May 4, 1959, Cross Country Suite won the award for "Best Musical Composition First Recorded and Released in 1958 (over 5 minutes duration)." The album was deemed to be an artistic, though not a commercial, success. By 2001, however, 25 percent of the requests on Buddy DeFranco's website were for a compact disc copy.[2] The work was issued on CD in 2008.
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album three stars. He said, "Buddy DeFranco's playing is typically fluid, swinging and explorative within the bop tradition. There are some short spots for trumpeter Don Fagerquist and altoist Herb Geller but DeFranco is the main star and the real reason to search for this long out-of-print rarity."[1]
Although "opportunities to hear the work have been rare," music reviewer Will Friedwald applauds "Cross Country Suite" as "quintessential American concert music, the kind that deserves to be heard more widely."[4]
Personneledit
Nelson Riddle – Composer
Buddy DeFranco – Clarinet
Billy Bean – Guitar
Milt Bernhart – Trombone
Vince De Rosa – French Horn
Don Fagerquist – Trumpet
George Fields – Harmonica
Herb Geller – Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone
Pete Jolly – Piano
Bill Jones – Orchestrator
Stan Levey – Drums
Red Mitchell – Bass
Willie Schwartz – Clarinet
Track listingedit
Side 1edit
"Tall Timber – 3:55
"Smoky Mountain Country" – 2:09
"The Rockies" – 4:21
"The Great Lakes" – 2:29
"The Great Plains" – 2:59
"Gulf Coast" – 3:22
Side 2edit
"The Mississippi" – 3:22
"Down East" – 2:22
"El Camino Real" – 3:18
"Metropolis" – 4:24
"Longhorn" – 3:06
Referencesedit
^ abYanow, Scott. "Cross-Country Suite". Allmusic. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^ abLevinson, Peter J. (2001). September in the Rain; The Life of Nelson Riddle. Billboard Books. pp. 183–5. ISBN0-8230-7672-5.
^ abFriedwald, Will (April 1, 2016). "Nelson Riddle as Composer, Not Arranger". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
^Littlefield, Geoffrey. (2021). Nelson Riddle; Music With a Heartbeat. Tolworth, Surrey: Grosvenor House Publishing Limited. p. 167. ISBN978-1-83975-440-1.
January 01, 1970
cross, country, suite, studio, album, clarinetist, buddy, defranco, performance, work, same, name, composed, nelson, riddle, studio, album, buddy, defrancoreleased1958recorded1958genrejazz, bandlength39, 09labeldot, records, professional, ratingsreview, scores. Cross Country Suite is a studio album by clarinetist Buddy DeFranco in a performance of the work of the same name composed by Nelson Riddle Cross Country SuiteStudio album by Buddy DeFrancoReleased1958Recorded1958GenreJazz big bandLength39 09LabelDot Records Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllmusic 1 Contents 1 Origin and Reception 2 Personnel 3 Track listing 3 1 Side 1 3 2 Side 2 4 ReferencesOrigin and Reception editNelson Riddle composed Cross Country Suite in 1958 for Buddy DeFranco who wanted a composition to play at a Le Blanc Clarinet clinic DeFranco said he felt it should be a combination of a big band jazz and an orchestra and it turned out to be one of the best things Riddle ever wrote The suite was also one of Riddle s favorite projects which he intended to showcase the be bop clarinetist s brilliance 2 The Riddle DeFranco partnership had its roots in the Swing Era According to the album liner notes 3 They played with and wrote for some of the era s giants Buddy with the bands of Charlie Barnet Count Basie Gene Krupa and Tommy Dorsey Nelson with those of Charlie Spivak Bob Crosby and Tommy Dorsey It was with the Dorsey orchestra some years ago in fact that Cross Country Suite was really born Riddle and Defranco were contemporaries in that organization each came to feel that musically he had something to give the other and they spoke often of such future collaborations as this Cross Country Suite has been performed on only a few occasions Portions premiered under Riddle s baton at the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl on August 29 1958 as part of a concert headlined by Nat King Cole Nearly 50 years later in 2006 Wooster College music professor Jeffrey Lindberg reconstructed the suite from incomplete manuscripts and his own transcription of the 1958 recording and in 2007 conducted it with DeFranco and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra In October 2015 clarinetist Ken Peplowski performed excerpts in a concert at the Los Angeles Jazz Institute The Wooster Symphony Orchestra performed the suite in its entirety in April 2016 with Paquito D Rivera as soloist at New York City s Symphony Space 4 Abroad the suite was performed twice by the Radio Television Eire Concert Orchestra of Ireland in 2006 and 2007 Nelson Riddle s son Christopher was conductor of the 2007 concert 5 At the first Annual Grammy Awards held on May 4 1959 Cross Country Suite won the award for Best Musical Composition First Recorded and Released in 1958 over 5 minutes duration The album was deemed to be an artistic though not a commercial success By 2001 however 25 percent of the requests on Buddy DeFranco s website were for a compact disc copy 2 The work was issued on CD in 2008 The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album three stars He said Buddy DeFranco s playing is typically fluid swinging and explorative within the bop tradition There are some short spots for trumpeter Don Fagerquist and altoist Herb Geller but DeFranco is the main star and the real reason to search for this long out of print rarity 1 Although opportunities to hear the work have been rare music reviewer Will Friedwald applauds Cross Country Suite as quintessential American concert music the kind that deserves to be heard more widely 4 Personnel editNelson Riddle Composer Buddy DeFranco Clarinet Billy Bean Guitar Milt Bernhart Trombone Vince De Rosa French Horn Don Fagerquist Trumpet George Fields Harmonica Herb Geller Alto Saxophone Baritone Saxophone Pete Jolly Piano Bill Jones Orchestrator Stan Levey Drums Red Mitchell Bass Willie Schwartz ClarinetTrack listing editSide 1 edit Tall Timber 3 55 Smoky Mountain Country 2 09 The Rockies 4 21 The Great Lakes 2 29 The Great Plains 2 59 Gulf Coast 3 22 Side 2 edit The Mississippi 3 22 Down East 2 22 El Camino Real 3 18 Metropolis 4 24 Longhorn 3 06References edit a b Yanow Scott Cross Country Suite Allmusic Retrieved July 4 2023 a b Levinson Peter J 2001 September in the Rain The Life of Nelson Riddle Billboard Books pp 183 5 ISBN 0 8230 7672 5 Cross Country Suite LP record Buddy DeFranco Dot Records 1958 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link a b Friedwald Will April 1 2016 Nelson Riddle as Composer Not Arranger Wall Street Journal Retrieved July 5 2023 Littlefield Geoffrey 2021 Nelson Riddle Music With a Heartbeat Tolworth Surrey Grosvenor House Publishing Limited p 167 ISBN 978 1 83975 440 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cross Country Suite amp oldid 1217410515, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
