Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2012 September 21

= September 21 =

Why is it impossible for guitarists to jam to my piano?
Hi. So Playing for Change Day is coming up, and I had been pondering over this problem since the 11th of November last year, so I'll bring this up now. As a freestyle novice pianist, I tend to shift between the scales, incorporating some atypical triads and suspended chorts, but stay mostly in the Ionian mode with accidentals so I could do it without examining the keys. I just briefly read through major thirds tuning from DYK, but can y'all recommend any tricks for a guitarist to harmonize or jam session to my pianism in a way that it overlaps the upper overtone harmonics such as 9th and 13th but does not off-key clash with the other instrument? Thanks! ~ AH1 (discuss!) 00:45, 21 September 2012 (UTC)
 * It depends on the skill and experience of the guitarist. If the guitarist is trained in the Jazz tradition, they should be able to keep up fairly easily.  If they're like me, used to playing basic pop and rock songs, they're probably most comfortable with basic I-IV-V song structure and the pentatonic scales amd stuff like that.  There's about a billion different ways to play the guitar, so you're going to find a wide variation.  -- Jayron  32  03:08, 21 September 2012 (UTC)


 * I apologize beforehand that this will come across a little bit blunt. You view yourself as a novice, you have chosen a modal key in order to be able to play without knowing the keyboard layout with your eyes closed, and you play atypical triads and suspended chorts (chords?). Considering the preceding, you presumably also improvise, and switch to whatever atypical triad you feel would suit the mood of your improvisation when you feel the time is right. And you are surprised that the guitarists you've played with have problems following your musical logic. Are you following theirs? To do a jam session, you need some common ground. It's not about one musician trying to follow another. It is about two or more musicians following some collective logic, each musician paying close attention to what the others are doing, and where they're heading. --NorwegianBluetalk 19:51, 22 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Just riffing of that theme (geddit) I once saw a series of programmes with Wynton Marsalis explaining the art of improvisation in jazz, which were very interesting. Basically you all need to know the basic tune and chord structure and rhythm of the tune before you can shoot off at weird angles. So maybe you need to become au fait with more traditional ways of playing keyboards and meet the other musicians halfway? --TammyMoet (talk) 20:04, 22 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Continuing on that: take a listen to Kind of Blue sometime. Nearly every track on that record with very little preparation over the course of two days on an improvised modal composition, and what strikes me as a listener is how completely tight it is.  It sounds like they've been rehearsing the songs for days before recording them, and they're all pretty much off the cuff improvisational pieces.  There's a BIG difference between good improvisational music and unlistanble atonal crap, and the difference is that the musicians are working from a common musical vocabulary, and not just making stuff up.  Good jams are always based on having a common vocabulary to choose from, and also on the fact that a good jam is generally constucted over a rather simple base set.  The band plays a basic progression everyone knows, and individual soloists step out and play within those keys.  -- Jayron  32  06:54, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

Once More, in case it was missed.
Back in  July,  I  asked  some  questions  about  a  TV series and movie I  had  once  seen,  and  I  wish  just  to  repeat  these  questions  to  see  if  anyone  out  there  who  missed  them  the  first  time  can  work  the  answers  out  for  me. They are  as  follows : I  am curious  about  the  name  of  a  TV  series  I  recall  watching  at  least  eight  years  ago  on  TV  here  in  NZ. I am  almost  certain  it  starred  Tom  Amandes  as  a  man  who  came  to  a  post  World War Two Canadian Prairie Town,  as  a  veteran  with  perhaps  his  own  past secrets. He was  keen  on  a  war  widow  who  had  a  ten  or  so  year  old  son  who  attended  school. In one episode this  boy,  who  was  clever,  and  had  done  well  at  some  test,  got   cocky,  and  the  school  teacher  asked  him  harder  questions  just  to  bring  him  down  to  earth  as  she  was  concerned  about  his  boasting. There was  a  native  American  Indian  who  had  come  back  from  the  War  but  still  faced  some  prejudice  while  certain  people  seemed  to  rely  on  Amandes'  character  to  sort  out  such  problems  as  a  man  of  common  sense. I have  searched  Tom  Amandes'  IMDB  and  Wikipedia article,  and  found  nothing,  and  to  my  first  request,  I  was  answered  by  Sazea (talk)that  there  was  nothing  about  such  a  show  on  Mr. Amandes' personal  website. For New Zealand Users,  it  was  shown  here  on  Sundays,  perhaps  on  TV  Two, either  morning or  early  afternoon,  and  could  have  been  made  from  as  early  as  1990  to  2004,  but  I cannot  remember  who  else  was  in  it. If anyone  in  New Zealand  has  access  to  TV  records  for  the  past  even  25  years,  maybe  they  can  help. Does anyone  have  any  ideas  ?

I do  have  some  other  questions. Many years  ago,  some  time  in  the  nineties,  I  saw  a  movie  made and  set  about  1987  about  a  mother  whose  boy  had  been  kidnapped. In fact  I  cannot  remember  if  I  saw  the  whole  thing  or  just  the  last  part. In this  one,  at  the  end,  she  finds  her  son  in  New  York  City,  but  he  is  with  a  man  who  will  not  give  him  up - a  kind  of  Fagan  like  character,  and  when  the  woman  begs  him  for  her  son  he  basically  tells  her  to  get  stuffed,  like  whaddya  gonna  do  about  it ? I believe  the  man  is  a  drug  dealer  based  in  a  laundromat. The woman  finds  a  middle  aged  cop  on  the  street  and  tells  him  about  it. The cop  accompanies  her  to  the  laundromat  and  challenges  the  perp,  who  pulls  a  gun,  cop  shoots  him  dead,  and  the  woman  gets  her  son  back. This is  reminiscent  though  rather  different  to  Meredith Baxter in  the  Kissing  Place,  so  it  is  not  that  film,  although  a  similar  sort  of  reunion  occurs  there  as  well. In addition,  there  is  another  film - I  think  these  were  made  for  TV  ones,  where  a  lady  does  find  her  daughter  and  rescues  her  from  the  street,  but  gives  her  up  to  the  Social  Services  anonymously  as  she  knows  and  realises  she  cannot  care  for  her,  but  there  is  something  about  her  making  sure  her  daughther,  who  is  very  young,  keeps  her  old  rag  doll. I cannot  recall  who  was  in  either  of  these,  and  I  think  the  second  one  is  from  the  nineties. If anyone  has  any  idea,  then  that  would  be  good. Finally, there  was  a  movie  I did  see  here  late  at  night  when  TV  Two  used  to  show  movies  from  2.30 am  about  Police  in  LA  I  believe,  trying  to  catch  a  serial  killer. It involved  a  white female  cop,  who  is  a  name  actress  I  cannot  recall,  shooting  dead  a suspect  who  was  threatening  a male  partner,  whom  she  may  once  have  had  relations  with, and  the  actor  playing  him  was  known  to  me  also,  but  I  cannot  recall  him. There was also  one  scene  in  which  there  was  an  African American  woman,  with  piercing blue eyes ( NOT Vanessa Williams ),  who  put  on  an  act  with  one  of  the  murder  suspects,  pretending  to  cry  about  some  memory  she  had,  to  wind  him  up,  or  stop  him  being  suspicious  of  her. I do  not  know  if  the  suspect  knew  she  was  a cop. This actress  is  not  as  well  known -  I  just  remember  thinking  that  at  the  time. I think  the  killer  turned  out  to be  someone  to  do  with  the Police,  like  an  assistant  D.A.  or  C.S.I.  tech. This one  must  have  been  made  within  certainly the  last  ten  years,  and  it  was  shown  on  TV  in  New Zealand  about  2009. Thank You All. Chris the Russian Christopher Lilly  03:33, 21 September 2012 (UTC)


 * I think it's just possible I have got your first one this time round. Could it be Adventures in Rainbow Country? -  Ka renjc 18:08, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Thank You  so  much  for  finding  that,  and  I  will  admit  it  looks  close,  but  I  am  almost  certain  the  one  I  saw  was  filmed  more  recently. The strange  thing  is,  even  if  something  is  set  in  the  1940's,  one  can  still  tell  whether  it  was  filmed  in  the  sixties  or  later. It does  not  appear  that  this  one  You  mention  was  set  earlier  than  the  late  nineteen  sixties. I would  have  noticed  at  the  time  if  it  had  appeared  to  look  older  than  one  filmed  more  recently. I still  think  the  widow  had  only  a  son. One thing  could  be  true,  that  they  used  this  show  You  found  as  a  basis  for  the  one  I  am  thinking  of,  or  of  course,  it  is  just  a  coincidence,  as  can  happen, but  I  do  not  think  this  is  the  one,  and  I  could  only  be  sure  by  seeing  it.

I just  thought  the  show  I  saw  was  also  an  hour  long,  although  that  could  be  done,  and  has  been  here,  but  fitting  two  epsiodes  into  one,  like  the  do  with  Scrubs  here  when  they  run  an  hour's  worth,  show  the  opening  credits  for  the  first  episode,  but  not  the  close,  and  omit  the  opening  for  the  second,  as  if  it  was  all  one  episode. Again, I  am  certain  Tom  Amandes  was  in  it,  or  at  least  one  who  looked  like  him. He does  bear  a  resemblance  to  Jimmy Stewart,  but  it  certainly  was  not  him. I will  also  keep  looking. Thanks for  that,  but  although  it  sounds  very  close,  I  cannot  be  sure  that  is  the  one. Chris the Russian Christopher Lilly  06:13, 25 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Without linking to any copyright-infringing sites, I would just note that clips from AIRC are available on YouTube, including the show's theme tune and opening credits, which might help you eliminate it (or otherwise) as a possibility. You could also cast your eye over List of English-language Canadian television series in the hope that something might ring a bell. - Ka renjc 08:31, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks - Erich Leinsdorf, LSO
I have a recording of Erich Leinsdorf conducting the London Symphony Orchestra for the carol While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks. The Sony CD it is from is copyrighted 1994. Leinsdorf died in 1993.

In an effort to accurately date the tracks in my music library, I have tried to hunt down the original recording and date of this track. Whle I can live with listing it in my library from the Sony compilation album "The Sound of Christmas, Volume 3," I'd really like to have the year right. The CD also lists prior copyright years as 1974, 89, 90, and 93 - but does not indicate which tracks correspond to which years, and even then might point to earlier compilations taken from. There's no further information in liner notes.

In reading up on both the LSO and on Leinsdorf, I don't see any mention of when he conducted for them. I expect he was a guest conductor at the time of the recording, perhaps even for the single piece. I also searched the track itself and found no comprehensive listing of performances or recordings, as one would imagine that to be exhaustive.

My search has included a book search in Amazon (which gave a promising 1947 lead in Billboard, but merely mentioned both the carol title and conductor on the same page but not as the same performance), Allmusic, Musicstack, and even ebay. Is there an online classical music database I'm unaware of which I could use? Does anyone just happen to have this info?

I'm very hopeful someone here can help me. Thank you.

Medleystudios72 (talk) 13:58, 21 September 2012 (UTC)


 * ArkivMusic is my go-to place for these sorts of queries. It has lots of entries for Leinsdorf, lots for the LSO, and lots for "While shepherds watched" - but zero that I can see for this particular recording.  It may be hidden there under some other name.  Best of luck.  --  ♬  Jack of Oz  ♬  [your turn]  22:07, 21 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Here's what I have been able to find out so far.


 * Philip Stuart's discography of the LSO lists six recordings conducted by Leinsdorf between 1961 and 1975, but not this one.


 * Other releases with this same track are An Orchestral Christmas (Sony Music, 1998) and 15 Christmas Classics: A Yuletide Concert (Sony Music Special Products, 2001). I have not located a release that's earlier than your CD.


 * An Orchestral Christmas also includes Angels from the realms of glory, credited to London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Erich Leinsdorf.


 * Two other selections appear on a 1969 LP called Great Songs of Christmas (Album Nine) issued by the Goodyear tire company, produced for them by Columbia Special Products. In Dulce Jubilo and O Sanctissima are credited to the Roger Wagner Chorale and London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. Was the chorus overdubbed, or if not, what was this Los Angeles-based group doing in London, where there's no shortage of choruses?


 * Stuart's discography lists a CBS (USA) session for the LSO in Barking Assembly Hall on 27 June 1969. Conductor and music are unidentified; "a single session, possibly Christmas Carols" says Stuart. I wonder where Leinsdorf was on that date? He had just finished his Boston Symphony tenure in April.


 * Confusing, yes? I will try to find an email contact for Philip Stuart to see if he can shed any more light. ReverendWayne (talk) 03:23, 23 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Barking Assembly Hall! They really pushed the boat out with that one ;-) Alansplodge (talk) 19:05, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

Some seriously top-notch detective work thusfar. I'm very interested in what you've all posted in reply. Keeping my fingers crossed on the Barking '69 session, which looks promising. Thank you!Medleystudios72 (talk) 12:31, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

PSY Gangnam Style director
Who directed the Gangnam Style music video by PSY? How would I find out this information? Thanks. Coolbubbles1234 (talk) 17:20, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

unknown worldwar movie.
i watched this movie some 15 years ago when was a kid.cant remember its name. but dying to have a copy of it. it was based upon world war 2, describing life and fight of a young group( may be acting as resistance group). what i remembered just some scenes of the movie.shot in one then but prominent European city under siege of axis power. random scene 1- some guys stole rations and siphoning through rain pipe from roof of maybe forbidden store house. scene 2-a group of resistance fighters took shelter from assault in one of the prominent building which destroyed after a fight by a tank.( seemed to some ww2 panzer version) ,resulting some casualities and finally capture of group taken to some camp. scene 3-after the camp( may be pow or concentration camp) liberated by (seemed to be)allied troops, a seemingly angry former member tied feet of an camp officer (nazi seemed to be)to a horse and dragged him.

please if anyone have any recollection would be great. — Preceding unsigned comment added by D1987k (talk • contribs) 20:24, 21 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Was this an English language film? Alansplodge (talk) 20:40, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

in reply to Alansplodge, the language was english but maaybe dubbed after — Preceding unsigned comment added by D1987k (talk • contribs) 20:48, 21 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Maybe The Pianist (2002 film) or Enemy at the Gates. Both feature besieged cities with tanks in the streets and a frightened population hiding and scavenging scraps from where ever they can. Don't remember the bit about the horse in either film though.  Astronaut (talk) 10:45, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

```no not


 * I also found Stalingrad (1993 film), but that was in German though it did receive a US release in 1993. Astronaut (talk) 10:50, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

```no not pianist nor stalingrad mo enemy at the gates seen all those,definetly older than those probably from 1970 or 80 time.


 * Maybe Uprising (2001)? I couldn't find a synopsis anywhere, but there may be some clips on YouTube. Alansplodge (talk) 19:01, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

Doesn't sound like a US or UK film from the 70's/80's. Could it have been a European or Polish film about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 (not the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, which features in the film Uprising). It's not Kanal, which is probably the best known, but I believe there are others. Elen of the Roads (talk) 21:24, 23 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Otpisani maybe? Made into a series later. Can't find detailed plot... Ssscienccce (talk) 21:54, 26 September 2012 (UTC)