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Chick Corea's "Spain" in 1960?


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This was posted on FB by someone in the New England thread from the MA area:

"Spain" by Armando "Chick" Corea written by him when he was young, and later re-arranged to become his signature piece. He spent several years with the St. Rose Scarlet Lancer of Chelsea, Mass.

St. Rose was also instructed by Al Saia. Cambridge, St. Rose and St. Mary's all had that Al Saia sound. Hard to describe. His use of harmony sopranos was unique.

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Back in '83 or '84, I borrowed my high school band director's promotional record (which Jenson Publications or whomever it was at the time would send out to directors to market new marching band arrangements - BITD when director's bought professional arrangements rather than trying to do it all themselves), and I copied the music over to cassette tape - don't tell Tresona!. An arrangement of Spain was one of the pieces - can't say who arranged it, but would guess Bocook, who did so many of the arrangements that I saw during that period. It was probably performed by some college band.

Geek 16 year old that I was, I played that tape so very many times. Now nearly 50 years old, that same piece (and many more) ahs made it over to my iPhone, and I just gave it another listen - takes me back 30 years. And it's on my son's iPhone as well, for that matter.

Edit: and here's the same version on YouTube

Edited by Eleran
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Regardless of when it made its debut... "Spain" is a great tune.

My old team (DCA's Sunrisers) played it in 1976 and '77.

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>>St. Rose was also instructed by Al Saia. Cambridge, St. Rose and St. Mary's all had that Al Saia sound. Hard to describe. His use of harmony sopranos was unique.<<

I know this thread is about Chick and Spain and Cambridge but, I cannot help thing that the Cab's concert version of Malaguena in 61-62 was the best ever IMO ... the timing variations and volume infections (along with intensity) were superb ... I've often thought it took a DM of extraordinary talent to pull off the direction of that piece ... so unique and so staccato ... one of my favs forever!

:-)

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>>St. Rose was also instructed by Al Saia. Cambridge, St. Rose and St. Mary's all had that Al Saia sound. Hard to describe. His use of harmony sopranos was unique.<<

I know this thread is about Chick and Spain and Cambridge but, I cannot help thing that the Cab's concert version of Malaguena in 61-62 was the best ever IMO ... the timing variations and volume infections (along with intensity) were superb ... I've often thought it took a DM of extraordinary talent to pull off the direction of that piece ... so unique and so staccato ... one of my favs forever!

:-)

I recently listened to Cambridge from 1962 and especially enjoyed "Sunday in Seville." I heard a voice in there that sounded like perhaps a baritone with a soprano or mellophone mouthpiece. Did my ears deceive me?

The Rockford Phantom Regiment played "Sunday in Seville" in 1964, but not as well as Cambridge.

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