This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Friday, June 7, 2019

Smile! You're on Battle of the Bands Results ( #BOTB Results )



       "There is nothing new under the sun," said King Solomon in the Bible.  I guess that means we keep on rehashing the same old stuff and pretending that it's innovation...


     
          After I had posted my previous post for #IWSG I realized that there was a connection between that post and my previous #BOTB post.   Both of these posts presented elements from my past--that sometimes hazy part known as the seventies.  At that time I was listening to a lot of wild music (like the Don Ellis Orchestra piece that I offered in my BOTB using the song "Hey Jude") while at the same time writing a lot of wild surrealistic stuff.

          But it was the seventies--a time of experimentation and rebellion against what the previous generations had liked.  Now as I look back I realize that many of the movies I liked then are rather tedious for me to watch now--to much muddle and nonsense.  On the other hand, I tend to enjoy the psychedelic music from that era.  Don Ellis is still a band that I find to be pretty darn great.  Too bad Ellis died at the age of 44 in 1978.   What additional heights this innovative musician/composer could have attained is left to speculation.

          Interestingly as well, I could not help but notice a similarity between my Battle and that of BOTB host Stephen T McCarthy in presentations offered.   Both of our contests faced off a trio against an actual orchestra.  Simple spare arrangements versus big brassy orchestrations that were longer in length.   And in both cases the bigger more complex arrangements were vastly overpowered by the smaller trios.  Two David versus Goliath battles!


Battle of the Bands Results




       In my Battle of June 1st,  I matched the small ensemble not-an-orchestra Smile Orchestra against the venerable music giant the Don Ellis Orchestra with their versions of the Beatles classic "Hey Jude".  Though this song has been highly lauded by many and was a huge song after it was released, many voters indicated that they did not particularly care for this song.  It's not my favorite either--overly long and repetitious.

         I didn't quite expect the voting to be so overwhelmingly against the psychedelia of Don Ellis, but that it was and it looks like I have a real blowout this time.  If I don't count my vote it's a shut out.  Yes, I voted for Don Ellis.  Old favorite, you know, and you might have guessed that from my post.

       All I can say is that I recommend any fans of the big band sound to listen to a bit more of Don Ellis.  There is some fine listening ahead for those who do.  At least that's how I see it.  And now I'll leave this Battle to a fading memory not to be mentioned again after this...

Final Vote Tally

Smile Orchestra         14 votes

Don Ellis Orchestra      1 vote (mine)



Next Battle on Saturday June 15th

       I'll try to do better on that one.  Actually I don't think this previous Battle was all that bad.  But I like a lot of stuff including anchovies on my pizza.

       
       What new thing that you've discovered actually happened to be a very old thing?   Why does it seem like that so often genius dies young?  Do you like anchovies on your pizza?    Do you like ukulele music? 







18 comments:

  1. I'd vote for Anchovies on Pizza - and so would my wife.

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    1. Roland, too bad we can't meet up to share some pizza. My wife is not a big pizza fan and definitely not with anchovies.

      Lee

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  2. Why do those creative geniuses die so young? Good question. Maybe they burn out? Having to carry brilliance around could drive one mad.

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    1. Susan, it's a mystery for now. But there have been brilliant creative people who have had very long lives, so who can say.

      Lee

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  3. LEE ~
    Good, perceptive catch on your part about the similarity of our Battles in this round. And in both cases, David whupped Goliath with no trouble at all. (Just like in The Bible.)

    I did have some fun exchanges in my comment section this time, and that's about all I can say for my 'Rock This Town' Battle (using the word "battle" very loosely).

    >>... Do you like anchovies on your pizza? Do you like ukulele music?

    As a longtime vegetarian, I don't eat anchovies. However, I did like anchovies prior to going veghead. But I never ordered them on my pizza. I took very seriously that warning in the J. Geils Band recording and so I always said, "No Anchovies, Please!"

    Ukulele music? Eh... no, not really. Unless it's Tiny Tim.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

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    1. STMcC, I have a battle coming for you then on July 1st I think it will be.

      Lee

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  4. My husband is the anchovies lover, not me! I missed this BOTBs but will check out the next one. What a shut out!!! I like SOME ukulele music...

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    1. Lisa, I've been having a change of heart about ukulele music of late. Any instrument in the hands of the right musician can sound pretty amazing.

      Lee

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  5. Thanks for stopping over at my blog. Nice to meet you!

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  6. On my old estrogen Who lists (for female fans), we used to use the term "a 'Pictures of Lily' moment" for discovering a band, actor, etc., we'd fallen in love with had actually either long passed on or come out and enjoyed greatest popularity before we were born. "If only I'd been born in Lily's time/It would've been alright," the lyrics say after the narrator is told by his dad that Lily died in 1929.

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    1. Carrie-Anne, yes, I have my own fantasy encounters with movie actors from the past.

      Lee

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  7. Wow! You don't often have such blowouts, Lee. Sorry, but I had to side with the majority on this one. Don't like anchovies either. ☺ Oh well, tastes for music, food and everything else are unique to each of us.

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    1. Debbie D, I really didn't expect quite the aversion to the Don Ellis recording, but it is one of his wilder ones. He was a musical experimenter.

      Lee

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  8. Sure quite the blowout this round. Yeah, you can always relate something to something that has happened before, even if just a little, or sometimes a lot.

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    1. Pat, yesterday never really goes away as today is just another passing day. At least that's what I say.

      Lee

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Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.
I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Lee