Sleigh Ride

Sleigh Ride

In the spirit of the Christmas season

 here's a post on this seasonal favourite.

Composed by Leroy Anderson in 1948.
Very catchy song. Nice obbligato lines.

Harmonic structure based on repeating cycle of fifths.
Allows many opportunities for reharmonisation. 
(transcription format below highlights the harmonic symmetry)

Wikipedia entry here.
Some interesting discoveries on youtube listed below.

Leroy Anderson (1950) 

The original.
By the composer and his orchestra.

Many orchestra versions follow this scoring.

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VOCAL VERSIONS

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Harry Connick Jr (1993)

Modern Jazz Big Band take on this seasonal classic.

Slightly slower tempo.
Nice brassy chords.
Comforting double bass line.

TVXQ (2011)
Korean group.
Good effort. Novel English accents.
Energetic orchestration with a light touch.
Subtle reharmonization is refreshing.






Take 6 (2010)
Renowned acappella group.
Very imaginative harmonies and voicing.
Amazingly accurate pitching.
 





Highlight 1
Fredrik Moller (2010)
"One voice - all harmonies"
The ultimate multitrack.
Wonderful jazz reharmonisation, arrangement and rendition.
This guy deserves a medal!






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INSTRUMENTAL VERSIONS

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 J Lawrence Cook - Player Piano Version 
Good old-fashioned player piano version.
Sounds like four hands.
Almost rag-time /stride style.

Oliver Poole (OLIVR) (2013) - Piano

Very talented young British pianist.

 Imaginative arrangement by Andrew Gentile.

Solo piano successfully recreates the effect of the Leroy's orchestration and obbligato lines.
by incorporating several complex moving parts.
Not easy to play. Look at all those parallel octaves and embellishments.
Masterfully executed.

OLIVR plays it by ear!

Highlight 2
Cameron Carpenter (2011) - Organ

 Organist Extraordinaire. Unconventional but immensely talented.

He plays the main theme on the pedals - amazing footwork!

This version very colourfully arranged and "orchestrated" for organ.
Clever tweaks to obbligato lines and very creative reharmonisation.
Exploits the sounds of the organ to the fullest.
Look out for the horse neighing at the end!

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Merry X'mas, everyone!

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Postscript
(recent discoveries)




Highlight 3
Stanley Collins (~2012) - Two-Piano*
An exhilarating, invigorating and refreshingly jazzy take on this classic.
Very tight two-piano chordwork and voicing. 
Exciting reharmonization and rhythmic ideas.
Melodic and temporal fidelity preserved amidst jazz complexity.
A brilliant arrangement and performance!
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  *either by two pianists or multitrack by one pianist
 

Sammi Morelli and Jeff Craig (2014) - Vocals and Guitar

Minimalist but beautifully presented.
Distils the structural essence of this classic.
Steady but sophisticated higher-order chordwork by serious-looking Jeff.

Anomalie (2016) - Keyboard/Synths

(added Jan 2019)
Modern jazzy take on this festive classic.
Interesting chordwork, energetic riffs, creative combination of sounds.
Refreshing, upbeat and rhythmic.