I've heard Mr. Alpert describe that he and the musicians who appeared on the TJB recordings never quite knew how the arrangements would turn out when they arrived at the studio for a session. And yet, I did see a specific, carefully written-out chart of the trumpet parts for "A Lonely Bull" in a website photograph showing the UCLA exhibit of A&M Records memorabilia. Perhaps the sessions were charted out to a certain extent, and then, when all the creative artists were with Mr. Alpert in the studio, they all contributed additional ideas, which Mr. A. had complete control over. Any insights here?
Ad-libs versus complete studio charts
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Captaindave
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I can only comment from my own experiences.
Sometimes songs are more structured and parts written out; sometimes less so. It depends on the song and the composer and the artist, etc.
I have been in situations where a song is completely charted out ahead of time, so it's pretty much a matter of playing the notes as written. Other times, it is less so; maybe much less so, with maybe a sense of rhythm or chord progression, and then a melody begins to appear from that, with harmony parts and embellishments being created along the way. Thus, the final "product," so to speak, evolves from some rudimentary ideas.
I certainly have no idea what Herb Alpert did, or even if he did the same thing all the time. It may have depended also on the composer. When he did a cover of a song, he may have had the melody and an idea of what he wanted to do with the song and a general sense of the arrangement. With original songs, like the one you mention and others - written specifically for the TJB, there may have been a more specifically charted out arrangement.
I read an interview where Herb said that he liked to go into the studio and fool around with chords and rhythm and then a melody might begin to come in, and if something came along that was worth keeping it was recorded. That is pretty unstructured, and may have been the way certain songs were "born," so to speak. Yet, I am sure that some other songs were a result of much more specifically arranged parts and thought out ahead of time arrangements.
Sometimes songs are more structured and parts written out; sometimes less so. It depends on the song and the composer and the artist, etc.
I have been in situations where a song is completely charted out ahead of time, so it's pretty much a matter of playing the notes as written. Other times, it is less so; maybe much less so, with maybe a sense of rhythm or chord progression, and then a melody begins to appear from that, with harmony parts and embellishments being created along the way. Thus, the final "product," so to speak, evolves from some rudimentary ideas.
I certainly have no idea what Herb Alpert did, or even if he did the same thing all the time. It may have depended also on the composer. When he did a cover of a song, he may have had the melody and an idea of what he wanted to do with the song and a general sense of the arrangement. With original songs, like the one you mention and others - written specifically for the TJB, there may have been a more specifically charted out arrangement.
I read an interview where Herb said that he liked to go into the studio and fool around with chords and rhythm and then a melody might begin to come in, and if something came along that was worth keeping it was recorded. That is pretty unstructured, and may have been the way certain songs were "born," so to speak. Yet, I am sure that some other songs were a result of much more specifically arranged parts and thought out ahead of time arrangements.
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