[Dixielandjazz] Recording in Spain

[jim at kashprod.com]

ROBERT R. CALDER <serapion at btinternet.com> wrote, about my having played on a censored recording in 1970's Spain: 

>>Well, well, at least you weren't shot?
>You might have irked some folks a lot? 

Actually, Robert, I was just a session musician on that recording, doing what I did every day, recording with different groups/singers.  You never knew what you were booked in for, only at so & so studio at so & so hour on so & so date.  Usually never even saw the artist, as we would lay down wind tracks after the rhythm tracks had been recorded.  At a later date, the artist would come in, after the strings & other tracks were recorded.  

Sometimes we would do a whole orchestra thing with everyone at once, but even then the vocal track would be recorded just for reference.  Later, the artist would go back for the proper vocal or lead line. They could "punch in/punch out" at any given spot, even to add replace one dodgy note!   

I can just see everyone now pouncing on their keyboards to criticize the process!  :>

Don't be too harsh.  Things can be a tiny bit off in a live performance, and it will be missed by almost everyone.  Not so on a recording that is heard over and over.
I do recall, however, the album notes on one particular recording by Frank Sinatra where they claimed he came in to the studio with the whole band, and they kept all the first takes!  Of course, that WAS Frank Sinatra, and on top of that he had the top of the line musicians in the session.  Doesn't happen often.

In my experience, the first take was quite often the best take, but people always strive for more perfection, and sometimes lose the spontaneity in search of it.

I also saw, so many times, also, that since we had a minimum 3 hour pay for a session, the producer often hated to see us walk out the door with three hours of cash when we had only been there 35 minutes!   So, we would repeat the recording over & over, retune, repeat again, try a different tempo, etc., etc.

Things are worse today, with a full brass section sitting together is a thing of the past.  Now, it's usually one of each instrument, doubling or tripling the parts ending up with 2 or 3 trombones (for example) instead of only 1.  Playing together in a full brass section, with really excellent musicians was such a pleasure for me as basically a kid, even if I was a little out of my class with some of the older master who are now all gone.  

Jim