[Unexpected random encounters with the music of John Williams]

The Gumdrop Fun Shop in Ellijay, GA (https://www.thegumdropfunshop.com/). Nice small town shopping area.

 

I was waiting out front for my wife while she was shopping, and in the middle of two children’s songs they played the OST track of The Raiders March.

 

I really did not expect to hear that. It was the only non-kids’ music I heard while I was there.

 

[Discussing John Williams' final Original Song Oscar nomination]

Interesting as always. Thanks for posting!

[John Williams and Aaron Copland]

It's interesting you would post this. Someone just sent me the link below referring to Copland in the early part of the video (I have never seen this guy's videos before)

 

How John Williams Evolved as a Composer Since His First Movie in 1958

 

 

[HOME ALONE - Live to Projection Concerts]

Interesting article

 

https://slate.com/culture/2023/12/home-alone-orchestra-live-concert-2023.html

[John Williams YouTube tributes thread]

I’ve seen covers by vocal groups before, but this is the first time I’ve seen one where there is a single voice per instrument.

 

 

I sing the ENTIRE orchestra in The Indiana Jones Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3q6iSaCg3kg

[Kevin Kiner & co's AHSOKA (2023)]

Ahsoka's Composers on Evolving Her Musical Journey
 

https://gizmodo.com/ahsoka-interview-kevin-deana-sean-kiner-star-wars-1850896936

[Clone Army Theme from Star Wars: Episode II?]

Love this - thanks for posting!

[AHSOKA - 2023 Star Wars TV]

Ahsoka's Composers Break Down Scoring This Week's Big Cameo

 

Spoiler

https://gizmodo.com/star-wars-ahsoka-kevin-kiner-deana-sean-c3po-soundtrack-1850884282

 

[THE LOST WORLD (1997) - 2023 2-CD expanded reissue from La-La Land Records now available!]

Not quite sure where to put this, but it looks like the CD is not the only thing missing teeth... (from Quito, Ecuador) 

 

[THE LAST JEDI - OST Album MUSIC Discussion (No Movie Spoilers)]

I like this too. The music is great (I'm a brass person so particularly like this arrangement) but I have to agree on the quality of the scene...

[The best Star Wars music, ranked (Entertainment Weekly)]

Not sure I agree with all but an interesting list. https://ew.com/movies/star-wars-best-music-ranked/

 

[New Podcast Series: The Complete John Williams Television Music Walkthrough]

This is great (as the previous parts). I really enjoyed learning about a TV show I had never heard of before, several I had heard of but never heard the music, as well as Gilligan's Island (brings back memories hearing it as a kid).

 

Nice work!

[Do you skip the Fox Fanfare when you start listening to the Star Wars scores?]

To be honest, the only score I program the Fox Fanfare before is this one…

(still not sure what I like about it but I seem to play it fairly often)

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Lukas Kendall

...but John Williams actually did arrange and record this version of the classic Alfred Newman "20th Century Fox Fanfare with CinemaScope Extension"—for the 1964 Arabian themed farce John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! (The studio said, "Absolutely not!")

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFfEf-ClIbE

-------------------------------------------------------------------

[Theme from ”Schindler’s List” (1993), arranged for piano/cello/violin trio by John Williams]

Has anyone else heard of this new arrangement?

 

 

https://jarijuhanikallio.wordpress.com/2023/01/30/from-symphonic-beethoven-to-john-williams-with-emanuel-ax-leonidas-kavakos-and-yo-yo-ma/

 

What, one might ask, could steal the show after two such inspired performances of Beethoven. In this case, the answer was none other than John Williams, whose iconic Theme from Schindler’s List (1993) was heard as a profoundly captivating encore. Commissioned by the trio over a phone call with the composer, Williams’s pristine arrangement focuses on the prayer-like intimacy of the music, while retaining emotional subtlety of the original orchestral score.

[Always (1989) - 2021 Expanded Edition from La-La Land Records]

I know it came out in 2021 but still a great release!

Top albums of 2022: Saluting the cinematic horn concerto – John Williams’s Always in pristine expanded edition from La-La Land

 

https://jarijuhanikallio.wordpress.com/2022/12/27/top-albums-of-2022-saluting-the-cinematic-horn-concerto-john-williamss-always-in-pristine-expanded-edition-from-la-la-land/

[Dial of Destiny: "Huge score" with 2 hours of music, 60+ cues, according to Mangold]

18 hours ago, blondheim said:

Never gonna happen but Dream Away

 

[Spielberg/Williams: Celebrating 50 Years of Collaboration (Tribute Video)]

Wow - great job!

[15 essential John Williams scores, ranked (Entertainment Weekly)]

Not a bad list!

[John Williams "didn't collaborate" with Holt for Obi-Wan show, wrote the theme and a suite in 2 weeks]

Obi-Wan Kenobi Composer Natalie Holt on Star Wars Pressure, John Williams, Loki Season 2, and More

https://gizmodo.com/obi-wan-kenobi-music-natalie-holt-john-williams-intervi-1849166218

["Violin Concerto No. 2 and Selected Film Themes" Williams / Mutter album & Blu Ray]

Album review: John Williams’s Violin Concerto No. 2 beautifully recorded by Anne-Sophie Mutter and the BSO under the composer

https://jarijuhanikallio.wordpress.com/2022/07/06/album-review-john-williamss-violin-concerto-no-2-beautifully-recorded-by-anne-sophie-mutter-and-the-bso-under-the-composer/

[Announcing BOSTON CALLING Video Event - Musicians of the BSO Celebrate JW]

21 hours ago, TownerFan said:

Thank you all for the truly nice words! Very happy you appreciated!

 

P.S.: @80sFan, your profile pic is amazing! Which year that was?

Pretty sure it's the fall of 1983. I found out there was a rehearsal for a concert with the Houston Symphony and and skipped school to attend. Security was much different back then. I was able to speak with him on his way in.

[Announcing BOSTON CALLING Video Event - Musicians of the BSO Celebrate JW]

It’s clear this took a lot of work and was put together by someone who really cares about the JW legacy.

 

I’ve enjoyed all the videos so far, but this one was particularly interesting. I especially liked the ‘Pops on the March’ montage.

 

Keep up the good work!

[A Gathering of Villains - Jim Nova, Trombones (10)]

His arrangement is perfect for this...(contest only makes sense for trombonists but it's a good listen)

 

Jim Nova's latest overdub is a medley of 6 "villain" themes written by John Williams and is scored for eight bass trombones and two contrabass trombones. What's more sinister than a bass trombone choir?

 

Jim is hosting a contest to see who can identify the six villains from the medley!

 

https://www.johnstonbaughs.com/topic/a-gathering-of-villains-contest-3rd

[John Williams 90th Birthday Gala Concert at The Kennedy Center, Washington DC, June 23rd 2022]

The music of John Williams is more than just Hollywood movie scores

 

The 90-year-old composer is being honored June 23 at the Kennedy Center with a National Symphony Orchestra birthday bash featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Spielberg and Anne-Sophie Mutter

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/06/17/john-williams-birthday-kennedy-center/

[Summon the Heroes (Trombone and Organ)]

I came across this and thought it was a nice arrangement. I still prefer the full orchestra version, but I always like trombone & organ (the other pieces on the album are well performed too)

 

Peter Steiner (Trombone), Constanze Hochwartner (Organ)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoxePt7wzY0
https://www.steinerpeter.com/music
https://www.berlin-classics-music.com/en/album/8854717167-binary-star/