Keeping Rich Olsen's Memory Alive
Every now and then, in prowling through my band organ sound files,
I come across a particular tune arranged by the late virtuoso arranger
Rich Olsen that moves me and makes me miss him so much.
Rich died suddenly in 2013 in the midst of a very successful career,
leaving many of his enthusiasts, including myself, bereft. For those
of you who don't remember the details of Rich's life, the memorial
published in the COAA's "Carousel Organ" can be read here:
https://www.coaa.us/resources/Print-Files/Rich-Olsen---extended.pdf
There are many Olsen arrangements that trigger and renew my sadness
at Rich's passing, but here is the one that did it this time: his
arrangement of John Pisano's 1966 fox trot "So What's New":
http://wurlitzer-rolls.com/6842-4.mp3
Matthew Caulfield
Irondequoit, New York
[ Richie couldn't read musical staff notation, although he could
[ speak the musician's lingo of chord names when playing the guitar
[ or organ. Occasionally he would ask me to make a MIDI file for
[ him of the melody and chords of an unfamiliar and complex tune he
[ was arranging for band organ. I miss him too. -- Robbie
|