Claude Thornhill at Glen Island Casino 1941

Claude Thornhill is a name known to many but mostly as a footnote to the legacy of arranger Gil Evans.  Prior to joining forces with Miles Davis for the birth of the cool sessions, Evans had been arranging for Thornhill since 1941.  The band was mostly known its unusual instrumentation which added two French horns and tuba and for a laboratory for Evans' arrangements (a young Gerry Mulligan also wrote for the band).  This compilation from Monomouth-Evergreen records from 1971 was from right before Evans joined, yet it was still a unique sounding band and the genesis of Evans' ideas can be confirmed to originate with Thornhill.

Claude Thornhill (1908-1965) was born in Indiana and was conservatory trained on piano and composition at the Cincinnati Conservatory the Curtis Institute of Music, all the while working in commercial dance bands.  Later, he wrote arrangements for Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Ray Noble, and Skinnay Ennis (a bandleader for whom Gil Evans also wrote for).  In 1937, Thornhill scored a hit with his arrangement of the Scottish folk song "Loch Lomond" for vocalist Maxine Sullivan.  His unique vision of music is on display here including his penchant for interesting timbral colors with a clarinet section and light clarinet backgrounds behind the vocals. The bagpipe imitation from the low saxes is kitschy but appropriate. The arrangement of a folksong is also a procedure that Thornhill would revisit. As a sidenote, bassist John Kirby's band was on "Loch Lomond" and Thornhill's arrangement may have been influential towards the sounds and ambitions of Kirby's chamber-like sextet.  

The success of "Loch Lomond" prompted Thornhill to form his own band which he did in 1940 and the band he formed was quite unlike any other during its time. The presence of two added clarinetists to the then-standard four-saxophone section, enabled a section of six clarinets which was often used in favor of the saxophones.  At Glen Island Casino 1941 is a radio transcription that captures this edition of the band with three trumpets, two trombones, piano, bass, and drums.  

At first it sounds like an expansion of Glenn Miller's lead clarinet-style sound, but Thornhill went a few steps further, exploring the range of the instrument.  At low volumes, the softer timbre of the clarinets, especially in the low chalameau register, allowed for sophisticated background lines behind the vocals and piano sections that did not get in the way.  If played by the saxophones, they would have been distraction.  During the louder, full ensemble parts, the sound of six clarinets in the upper register is shrill-sounding and somehow tempered by the brass.  As a result, the band has a top heavy sound and the later addition of the French horn (soon after this recording in fact) and then the tuba would reinforce the bottom half the spectrum.  

The band also played without vibrato which was unique at that time and further accentuated the harmonic and timbral subtleties in the music.   There are two distinct types of arrangements on this album, those by Bill Borden whose charts are more conventional sounding, and those by Thornhill whose charts are...well, not!  For starters, they are all instrumentals with a focus on creative arrangements and/or composition.  They are also mostly centered around re-arrangements of classical themes.

The first of these is "Le Papillon" based on a theme by Grieg.  Except for the brief introduction, the Thornhill's piano dominates the track.  Played in a classical manner with the left hand playing rolling chords-type accompaniment, the backgrounds of clarinet and/or brass pads enhances the smooth, relaxing sound.  It's beautiful and floating, but a far cry from the sweet and sentimental ballads of the day.  Thornhill also kept Grieg's original chords and so the use of triads and various harmonic movement is also clearly not derived from Tin Pan Alley. 

Incorporating classical music techniques with jazz bands have been commonplace since at least Paul Whiteman's time.  His arranger Bill Challis went further inserting numerous quotes in various but also readapting classical themes including "Song of India", based on an aria by Rimsky-Korsakov, and "Love Nest", based on a theme by Tchaikovsky.  The 1941 recording strike on copyrighted material may have encouraged Thornhill in this direction but it was purely coincidental as the music is clearly an attempt at bridging the worlds of classical and jazz big band.

"Humoresque" by Dvorak has a similar arrangement and often his arrangements sound like early attempts at mood or easy listening music.  There's often very little dissonance and it relies on the harmonic changes (which are lovely) for effect.  The preferred movement is from iv minor to the I chord.   "La Cinquantaine" based on a traditional melody was arranged by Thornhill and Dale Brown.  Sounds like Thornhill arranged the beginning as it begins with a one chord vamp, interludes with triads, and moves very quickly.  Then it changes gear ending up more like a standard Swing era chart with solos by clarinet, tenor sax and trumpet and a finale ending.  Also of note is the unison flute and clarinet with snare rolls in the introduction before going to medium swing for the Irish folk song, "Stack of Barley".  This track also contains some passages of standard swing writing, but not for long!

Thornhill has nice ideas but sometimes the texture just changes too quickly and the tunes often end rather abruptly.  On Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance #5" (used in the Godfather), the one classical theme adapted as a swing number, there is an all too brief interlude with solo piano playing cluster chords alternating with the band.  Then, a fter a round of solos, there is a moment of interesting dissonance before the full ensemble re-enters. Perhaps it was due to the constraints of the 78, but it sometimes feels like good motives or ideas are left undeveloped and sound rather out of place.   Also taken at a medium-up tempo, the theme sounds in bad taste and perhaps explains why he favored ballad settings for his ideas.

However, it is on his two original compositions where his ideas and concepts shine best.  The impressionist and poetic "Snowfall" highlights subtle harmonic movement with a very sparse four-note melody, first played by the clarinets then the piano, both very softly.  The bridge theme played by the brass is by contrast louder.  After the first theme is restated by the piano, a new section features the piano improvising over chromatically descending dominant chords backed by muted brass.  During the restatement of the theme, the performance ends with ominous sounding low brass pads.  This was the band's theme and a highlight of this collection.

"Portrait of a Guinea Farm" is a standout not only for the writing, but for the tense mood.  Featuring eighth-note rhythms on the toms and various percussion, the pointillistic piece include numerous short, jabbing statements from the hi or low woodwinds, open or muted brass, and the piano.  There is a strong quarter note pulse, but it doesn't really swing.  One-note ostinatos further intensify the mysterious and tense mood.  Scaring your dancers was probably not a recipe for the dance floor, but Thornhill does expand the mood possibilities of a big band with this piece.

Thornhill's charts are a far cry from the Swing Era music of the day.  It reminds me of "lite" popular music-informed classical music as heard on film soundtracks from the 1970s.   Thornhill did work in Hollywood in films and so it's not surprise that the music has this background-like quality.  "Portrait of a Guinea Pig" could be a theme for a horror or suspense movie.  But, sometimes it feels as if his arrangements are less a precursor to the advanced writing techniques of Gil Evans and instead a good start for mood music or elevator music.  

As I mentioned the charts by Bill Borden are far more conventional with simpler, riff-like themes and a round of solos.  The soloists were often Irving Fazola on clarinet and Rusty Dedrick on trumpet, but this was an arranger's band.  Vocalist Dick Harding is featured on most of Borden's chart and he reminds me of Chet Baker with a lower voice but without his charisma. However, the vocal sections are greatly enhanced with brooding, low, unison clarinet lines in the background.  They are so quiet sometimes it's hard to notice.  Sometimes, like "I'm Thrilled" , they are enhanced with chromatic tones that add a lot of needed color.  This song also features with a beautiful, full ensemble sound that highlights the low Bari sax.  

The bright swing version of the Italian song "O Sole Mio" is one of Borden's best charts.  The six clarinets is used to good effect with the brass, first playing a soli before joining the full ensemble in unison in the upper register.  The ending combines sliding trombones, trumpet melodies, clarinet counter-melodies for a rousing finale.   Borden also arranged a theme by Tchaikovsky called "The Things I Love" and also sounds wonderful.  Vocals are often backed by either the low woodwinds or muted brass or tinkling high register piano.  This chart features nice counter-melodies and a gentle full ensemble sound.

For the most part on this album, the swing groove is tempered with straight eighth-note lines, on Borden's "Rustles of Spring" and contributes to the classical-like sound.   While the swing feel is sometimes there, it's not prominent and perhaps this setting allowed for a greater range of ideas.  

The use of traditional songs and classical themes, six clarinets, no vibrato, and classical performance techniques contributed to the unique sound of Claude Thornhill band.  However, as Max Harrison points out, even though Thornhill created the sound, it was Gil Evans who knew what to do with it!  Still, his music cast a long shadow on the history of jazz and big band as it no doubt contributed to saxophonists needing to double on clarinet and flute.  Thornhill also helped expand the emotional spectrum of jazz with wonderful mood pieces that are relaxing and sometimes tense.

I don't believe this recording has been rereleased.  Difficult to tell, but it seems like only studio recordings are available, but unfortunately not all of these songs are available otherwise.  The best is the 1989 compilation from Circle records entitled 1941-1946. (sometimes retitled as 1941-1946-1947) which contains nine tracks: "Snowfall", "O Sole Mio", "Le Papillon", "Portrait of a Guinea Farm", "La Cinquantaine", "Rustles of Spring", "I Went Out Of My Way", "Stack of Barley", and "Hungarian Dance".  Original Recordings Volume 1 contains "I'm thrilled", "Humoresque"  and Volume 2 contains "I Found You In The Rain" and "Autumn Nocturrne".  Otherwise, these tracks are missing are not on any compilation: "Isn't It Wonderful", "As We Walk Into the Sunset", and "The Things I Love".