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Great John Williams arrangments


Sandor
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Yes, including his own work. I recently discovered a unique one:

Harry Connick Jr. performing The Long Goodbye with the Boston Pops Orchestra. There is a bootleg-recording out there so if you ever have the chance: check it out!

I don't know if Williams did the arrangment (but I assume for the time being). The orchestral parts are fantastic! This is becoming one of my favorite arranged songs OF ALL TIME! BRILLIANT!!

Another one that comes to mind is Williams wonderful arrangment of Quincy Jones' The Color Purple as found on the Cinema Serenade album, a collaboration between Williams and violinist Itzhak Perlman. AMAZING STUF!

Also his re-arranged theme from The Witches Of Eastwick for violin and piano. I've got the Gil Shaham album (Devil's Dance) and that piece simply ROCKS!

Other suggestions?

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I don't know if Williams did the arrangment (but I assume for the time being). The orchestral parts are fantastic! This is becoming one of my favorite arranged songs OF ALL TIME! BRILLIANT!!

Yes, Williams wrote the arrangement of that one.

Also, you could look after some of his early stuff. I highly recommend his two albuns for Shelly Manne, saddly never released on CD. One of those was recently re-recorded, and even includes a few notes by Williams:

http://johnwilliams.jw-music.net/int_disc/t2173.htm

http://johnwilliams.jw-music.net/int_disc/st2313.htm

http://johnwilliams.jw-music.net/int_disc/...Z%20CD-1713.htm

Also of great interest are his very first solo recording as a pianist (http://johnwilliams.jw-music.net/int_disc/kapp-kl-1055.htm) and one of his first both arranging, playing the piano and conducting (http://johnwilliams.jw-music.net/int_disc/dscd-891.htm)

His 1961 recording for Columbia Records, Rhythm in Motion (http://johnwilliams.jw-music.net/int_disc/cs8467.htm) must have pelased him, as he has been palying this lattelly -- somewhat adapted for the larger set, as they have been played by the Boston Pops.

He also did a lot of arranging and perfroming for such people like Mahalia Jakson, Vic Damone, Frankie Lane and many others. He also did three albuns with André Previn, were they shared arranging duties, and that are worth looking after. Again, this aren't available in CD...

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