Tom Ferguson (pianist in Matteson-Phillips and Memphis State band director)

[bloke]

I've covered this before, but (a DIFFERENT Curnow in another thread) reminded me of BOB Curnow - who wrote this arrangement of the SSB for the Stan Kenton Band (as he was trombonist/composer/arranger/producer with that band).

(Dr.) Tom Ferguson (who was a great jazz pianist, and the head band director of Memphis State University (not to be confused with the luxurious-facilities "University of Memphis"...but that's all I've got to say about that) took Curnow's arrangement, fleshed out the harmonies just a little bit more, and orchestrated (bandistrated?) it for our marching band.



I believe Memphis State was the founding school for NAJE (later: IAJE), and Tom was making a statement.

A bunch of foobaw fans wrote in to the paper complaining about it.
Tom had one of the letters blown up huge (like a poster) and hung it in the band room.
His comment: "phuk-em".


Tom also wrote the (unusual/creative/great) Memphis fight song, "Go Tigers, Go!) which is written in 6/8 meter YET, with a duple meter "dog-fight", as well as quite a few (considered to be - certainly in a fight song) "jazz" harmonies:



yes...We had trumpet players who could play this arrangement (of the national anthem).
They had T-shirts with "SCREAM SQUAD" on them, and - across the shoulders, on the back - "YOUR NAME HERE".
(Every section was expected to have T-shirts, so...)
Tom (with scholarship money and other privileges that he was able to dole out - times which today's faculty - who heard of these old days - refer to as the "wild west") basically gave young professional jazz players free tuition, free dorm rooms, free food, and walking-around money. They mostly took "A Jazz Band", "Theory & Composition", "Arranging", "Jazz Combo", "Swimming" (etc.) classes, and Tom was their advisor (who signed off on their schedules). If they got gigs - or needed to go on the road for a few weeks - so be it.

Matteson-Phillips first LP:
Tom is second to the right (top row)...

[BopEuph]

They mostly took "A Jazz Band", "Theory & Composition", "Arranging", "Jazz Combo", "Swimming" (etc.) classes, and Tom was their advisor (who signed off on their schedules). If they got gigs - or needed to go on the road for a few weeks - so be it.

It's amazing to me how this is considered a radical outlook. When I was in college, the lead trumpet player of the top big band was picked up by KC and the Sunshine band to go on tour. You wouldn't believe the amount of ranting the jazz director made. We all knew the real reasons were petty and selfish, but he kept saying "what if something happens to your chops? You don't have that degree to fall back on!"

The real reason is the department didn't think about having more than one lead style player in the studio. Rick was the only one, and 14 other players who were great improvisers, but not the most technical players on the instrument. When Rick left, there was a gaping hole in a need for the university, and the director blamed the student rather than their own lack of preparation.

Because a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies is a great backup plan for an already career musician.

There was a great local bassist who retired to Orlando after having a very colorful career, and once told me "you know what a jazz professor is? He's a cat who couldn't get a gig." Now, of course that's a radical statement in the other direction, but it was a funny retort to that situation.

[bloke]

I'm not delving into banned discussion (ie. stuff that actually matters), but the main reason that attractive disciplines (from the arts, to technology, to medicine to mathematics) are offered is to rope young impressionable people in (during - otherwise - what would be the most productive years of their lives) and "teach" them a whole bunch of stuff (labeled "core curriculum" - or some such) that isn't so (while also maneuvering them into serious debt - ie. a "perfect storm"), thus "knowing" (believing) things which are harmful to their own well-being - as well as the well-being of others...

...and - as is my understanding (??) - once a student is accepted into Juilliard - they are able to come-and-go (semesters, etc.) as their performance opportunities allow.

bloke "NOT AT ALL the point of my original post"

[arpthark]

That is a snazzy fight song. I like the overtly jazzy planar chromaticism and meter changes.

[bloke]

That is a snazzy fight song. I like the overtly jazzy planar chromaticism and meter changes.

I like your quasi music theoretical jargon.

[arpthark]

That is a snazzy fight song. I like the overtly jazzy planar chromaticism and meter changes.

I like your quasi music theoretical jargon.

It was tongue in cheek, but I did get paid for about seven years to produce said jargon. It does occasionally leak out unintentionally.

[bloke]

I've got another interesting factoid about that fight song, but debating whether to post about it.

Putting that aside, here's a sample of his piano playing. He played most every night every week with his trio. There was quite a bit of jealousy amongst the faculty regarding his incredible talent, which some of them (those who were probably the most jealous) would offhandedly discount.