{"id":41,"date":"2021-03-29T21:51:25","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T21:51:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2021-10-05T14:34:37","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T14:34:37","slug":"1947-52","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/1947-52\/","title":{"rendered":"1947-52"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Making a name.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-dark-gray-background-color has-dark-gray-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Andr\u00e9 Previn at the Piano<\/strong><\/em>&nbsp;(RCA Victor, 1947)&nbsp;(recorded October-November 1947)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previn\u2019s first major-label outing as a pianist is an exercise in sheer aplomb. The instrumentation is Cole-trio plus drums, Previn essentially borrowing two-thirds of Page Cavanaugh\u2019s trio (Al Viola on guitar and, Lloyd Pratt and, on a couple of tracks, Charles \u201cChic\u201d Parnell on bass) along with Mills. The ensemble is tight, Previn\u2019s playing practically fizzes off the turntable, and the arrangements are suave and sophisticated, with the occasional sassy modern-music embellishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s more than a hint of caf\u00e9 society in the slower numbers, but Previn dishes it up with style and a lush touch. After a few cloudy introductory harmonies seemingly borrowed from the interwar French avant-garde,&nbsp;\u201cBut Not for Me\u201d settles into tight, polished 1940s&nbsp;manner&nbsp;reminiscent of Frankie Carle. (To be clear: I consider this a real compliment.) A transition back to the tune hints at future Previn: he and Viola transpose one of Gershwin\u2019s major-harmony phrases into minor, a bit of musical vertigo before the changes lock back into gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube contain-video wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Andr\u00e9 Previn \u2013 But Not for Me, 1947\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yC1ucW7riOY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previn\u2019s up-tempo playing is both astute and, if not quite as freewheeling as his 1940s live recordings, a measure more intrepid than his earlier studio efforts. Taking the spotlight on \u201cThis Can\u2019t Be Love,\u201d you can practically hear him assimilating and expounding on the tune in real time. And on \u201cJust One of Those Things,\u201d his solo is a twisty delight, weaving motives through the harmonies with sure-footed and swinging poise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube contain-video wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Andr\u00e9 Previn \u2013 Just One of Those Things, 1947\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Rcal-nfj2Ik?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previn announces himself as a jazz pianist with remarkable self-assurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-dark-gray-background-color has-dark-gray-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>By Request<\/strong><\/em>&nbsp;(RCA Victor, 1950)&nbsp;(recorded April, May, October 1949)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Piano Program<\/strong><\/em>&nbsp;(RCA Victor, 1951) (recorded May, June, October 1949)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Three Little Words<\/strong><\/em>&nbsp;(RCA Victor, 1950)&nbsp;(recorded March, April 1950)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previn\u2019s next few releases, on the surface, offer more of the same, but there\u2019s some intriguing evolution happening in the margins. Much of it has to do with his rhythm. Up until now, even in ballads, Previn hasn\u2019t strayed far from a solid, swinging underlying grid. On these recordings, made in 1949 and 1950\u2014accompanied by Pratt, guitarist (and future session-player legend) Bob Bain on guitar, and former Kenton drummer Ralph Collier\u2014Previn\u2019s rhythm starts to loosen up, hanging around the beat as much as riding it. The way he slinks around the tune of \u201cBewitched\u201d (from&nbsp;<em>By Request<\/em>) is beguiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube contain-video wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0b1jp9xa_b8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou Took Advantage of Me,\u201d from&nbsp;<em>Piano Program<\/em>, is a real ride, its generous swing sharing the lane with sudden, muscular annotations and some surprising ensemble flourishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube contain-video wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"You Took Advantage Of Me\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cUKZCvB3I5s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previn\u2019s jazz is starting to point in two additional directions at once. The first is Hollywood;\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0around 1950 that his reputation as a film composer and arranger really takes\u00a0off. The\u00a0<em>Three Little Words<\/em>\u00a0album was, in fact, something of a tie-in with the film of the same name, a Fred Astaire vehicle featuring old songs by Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar. Astaire apparently was not terribly impressed with the songs\u2019 choreographic possibilities, and, according to Astaire scholar Todd Decker, went through five rehearsal pianists before clicking with Previn, giving the 21-year-old his first full music-direction credit. (It would also yield the first of Previn\u2019s 11 Oscar nominations.) What seems to have impressed Astaire was not just Previn\u2019s arranging skills, but his ability to supply quantities of completely new music, tailored to Astaire\u2019s choreography. The famous \u201cMr. and Mrs. Hoofer at Home\u201d number is almost all Previn\u2019s own music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mr. and Mrs. Hoofer At Home | Three Little Words | Warner Archive\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pd6suTj5wQ0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The arranged transitions and interludes in \u201cYou Took Advantage of Me,\u201d for instance, have a lot of this flavor: short, punchy cues that frame and illustrate the action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other direction Previn is headed is where he will take up residence for a good portion of his releases over the next two decades, at the fascinating (to me) intersection of modern jazz, pre-rock pop, and what we would today call easy listening. The increasing flexibility of Previn\u2019s beat is a step away from the sort of rubato that will be a staple of the easy-listening style, and, on&nbsp;<em>Three Little Words<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Piano Program<\/em>, he starts experimenting with adding a cushion of strings. \u201cWho\u2019s Sorry Now?,\u201d from&nbsp;<em>Three Little Words<\/em>, hovers somewhere between Carmen Cavallero and&nbsp;Previn\u2019s later piano-and-orchestra albums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube contain-video wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Who&#039;s Sorry Now\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OO1e20H7OG0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previn never recorded any full-on classical-pop hybrids in the Cavallero manner. But, apparently, he was not above performing them, to judge from a&nbsp;<em>Billboard<\/em>&nbsp;review of a 1950 appearance at the Mocambo nightclub:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote blockquotecustom is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>[Previn\u2019s] tones are rich, his phrasing crisp and his sense of interpretation is matched only by his extraordinary talent for creating unique syncopated variations of the classics\u2026. His informal manner won the crowd and at one point he proved himself quick on the ad lib. When applause greeted his introduction of a Maurice Ravel waltz, Previn cracked about the dead master, \u201cOh, is he here?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The May 1949 session also included a single\u2014the Previn-Bain-Pratt-Collier quartet accompanying Mack McLean, a sometime member of the vocal group Six Hits and a Miss (whose personnel included, at times, Martha Tilton and Andy Williams). Previn\u2019s playing behind McLean\u2019s performance of \u201cDardanella,\u201d an old orientalist novelty, is pretty busy, but often more interesting than the song itself. The flip side, the quartet essaying Moe Jaffe and Clay Boland\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/78_the-gypsy-in-my-soul_andre-previn-bob-bain-lloyd-pratt-ralph-collier-moe-jaffe-clay_gbia0029751b\">\u201cThe Gypsy in My Soul,\u201d<\/a> is more offbeat, with Previn\u2019s arrangement playing with some fun proto-exotica touches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-dark-gray-background-color has-dark-gray-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Andre Previn Plays Harry Warren<\/strong><\/em><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>(RCA Victor, 1952)&nbsp;(recorded&nbsp;August, October 1950)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After World War II, Arthur Freed, the main producer in MGM\u2019s musical unit, put together a number of films that were each built around the catalog of a single songwriter. While the results certainly varied in effectiveness (it\u2019s telling that far and away the best of the bunch,&nbsp;<em>Singin\u2019 in the Rain<\/em>, utilized the least high-profile repertoire, that of Nacio Herb Brown and Freed himself), it did mean that Previn, at this point, had spent an awful lot of his working life around the Great American Songbook. One wonders if this album, released a full four years before the first of Ella Fitzgerald\u2019s famous songbooks, was inspired by that experience. It\u2019s a format Previn would return to&nbsp;numerous&nbsp;times in&nbsp;later&nbsp;years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previn\u2019s collection of Harry Warren songs\u2014assisted, again, by Bain, Pratt, and Collier\u2014turns out, on the surface, to be closer to the piano stylings of pianists like Cy Walter than his previous albums, but it keeps taking unexpected left turns. It\u2019s easygoing and predictable until it\u2019s suddenly not. The interpretations are much more intricate and composed, with Previn and Bain often coursing through interludes and transitions in some tightly-scripted duet. Previn usually takes a chorus or two to stretch out, but the rest of it is very much arranged. Almost every song goes through some surprising modulations at the climax, often dismantling the tune by shifting each phrase into a new key\u2014a technique Previn will turn to again and again in the future. What the tracks sound like, more than anything, are sketches for imaginary MGM production numbers. It\u2019s easy to imagine Astaire putting together an athletic bit of tricky hoofing to Previn\u2019s version of \u201cJeepers Creepers,\u201d for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube contain-video wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jeepers Creepers\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pm6dM7P6jYs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The congruences between Previn\u2019s cinematic style and new currents in jazz that were starting to sprout in the California sunshine are not insignificant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/1944-46\/\">\u2190 <em>Previous: 1944-46<\/em><\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/interlude-on-bebop-and-the-west-coast\/\"><em>Next: Interlude: On Bebop and the West Coast<\/em> \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Making a name. Andr\u00e9 Previn at the Piano&nbsp;(RCA Victor, 1947)&nbsp;(recorded October-November 1947) Previn\u2019s first major-label outing as a pianist is an exercise in sheer aplomb. The instrumentation is Cole-trio plus drums, Previn essentially borrowing two-thirds of Page Cavanaugh\u2019s trio (Al Viola on guitar and, Lloyd Pratt and, on a couple of tracks, Charles \u201cChic\u201d Parnell &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/1947-52\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;1947-52&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-41","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":588,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions\/588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sohothedog.com\/previnjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}