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Bebop Spoken There

More from Jazz Monthly:

Jack Cooke: "...neither Giuffre nor Jim Hall are even adequate jazz musicians, they are technically limited, and more importantly, seem unable to improvise logically" - (Review of a JATP concert. Jazz Monthly May 1960)

Bill Evans: "A composer writes something, and an orchestra interprets it--he spends maybe six months writing 10 minutes of music, but a jazz musician spends 10 minutes of playing 10 minutes of music, and he performs it himself". - (Jazz Monthly July1960).

Archives

Today Thursday October 19

Afternoon
Vieux Carré Jazzmen - Holystone, Whitley Rd., nr. Newcastle NE27 0DA. 1:oopm. Free.

Tees Valley Jazzmen - White Horse Hotel, Burtree Lane, Harrowgate Hill, Darlington DL2 1RH.Darlington. 1:30pm. Free.

Evening.

Mark Williams Trio - Empty Shop, 35c Framwellgate Bridge, Durham DH1 3NJ 8:00pm. £5.00.

Indigo Jazz Voices - Globe, 11 Railway St., Newcastle NE4 7AD. 7:30pm. £5.

Maine Street Jazzmen - Potter's Wheel, Sunniside NE16 5EE. 8:30pm. Free.

Darlington Big Band, MD Richie Emmerson - Dormans, Oxford Rd., Middlesbrough TS5 5DT. 9pm. Free.

New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band - Oxbridge, Oxbridge Lane, Stockton TS18 4AW. 8:30pm.01642 678129.
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To the best of our knowledge, details of the above events are correct but may be subject to alteration.

Friday, August 04, 2017

Secret Voice of Hollywood (Nixon dubs Nixon dubbing Hepburn!)

Back in the day when lavish Hollywood musicals filled the screens of cinemas worldwide and, of course, the box office, the producers and casting directors were faced with a problem. How do you cast a megastar, a guaranteed money spinner, in a musical when the star can't sing? No problem with Doris Day, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell or Julie Andrews - they could sing and they could act. Deborah Kerr couldn't sing but she could act the pants off most of her peers. Likewise Audrey Hepburn.
Enter Marni Nixon.
Marni, who died last year aged 86, provided Kerr's singing voice in The King and I and Hepburn's voice in My Fair Lady. In West Side Story she ghosted Natalie Wood's voice without Natalie knowing the voice wasn't her own!
The practice eventually disappeared along with the blockbuster musical and when one did come along the actors did their own singing. After watching the most recent of these, La La Land, rumour has it that a member of the audience said: "Where is Marni Nixon when you need her?" Actually, it wasn't a rumour - it was me!
At this year's Edinburgh Fringe, Marni Nixon is brought back to life by Sam Nixon (pictured, no relation) and Gin Palace Productions. The scenario is the recording studio as Marni prepares to dub Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady whilst talking about some of the other stars she has dubbed.
Having seen clips of a Julie Andrews/Sound of Music show by the company I'm sure that they and Sam Nixon will do "The Greatest Singer You've Never Heard of" justice.
The 1-hour show had its Edinburgh premiere today at Greenside, 6 Infirmary St., Edinburgh EH1 1LT. (venue no. 236).
Forthcoming shows: August 5-6 & 8-12 All at 12:35pm.
Tickets.
Lance.
PS: I know it's not jazz - Edinburgh has its own Jazz & Blues Festival but, to me, there's always a jazzy feel about Fringe events!
at

2 comments :

  1. Thanks Lance, I go to see it on Wed 9th, looking forward to it!

    ReplyDelete

  2. "We are here to tell the story of Marni, but we were attracted to write the show through the music. The 50's were a golden age for Hollywood and I'm certain that any music fans thinking of coming to see us would get a lot out of hearing us perform from the selection we have chosen".

    ReplyDelete

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About this blog - contact details.

Bebop Spoken Here -- Here, being the north-east of England -- centred in the blues heartland of Newcastle and reaching down to the Tees Delta and looking upwards to the Land of the Kilt.
Not a very original title, I know; not even an accurate one as my taste, whilst centred around the music of Bird and Diz, extends in many directions and I listen to everything from King Oliver to Chick Corea and beyond. Not forgetting the Great American Songbook the contents of which has provided the inspiration for much great jazz and quality popular singing for round about a century.
The idea of this blog is for you to share your thoughts and pass on your comments on discs, gigs, jazz - music in general. If you've been to a gig/concert or heard a CD that knocked you sideways please share your views with us. Tell us about your favourites, your memories, your dislikes.
Lance (Who wishes it to be known that he is not responsible for postings other than his own and that he's not always responsible for them.)
Contact: lanceliddle@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you.

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