I’ve been thinking about this post for a while.

A couple of months ago there was one of those anniversaries that come around these days, I think it was maybe Bobbie Gentry’s birthday. Anyway “Ode To Billie Joe” popped up and I listened to it again and was struck by the arrangement – just Bobbie and guitar and the strings. Here’s a brilliant revealing piece about Jimmie Haskell’s arrangement and how he approached it. And does the name Jimmie Haskell ring a bell? It did for me, as one of those inveterate readers of album cover credits. You can start with the “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”

Is there are song you love where the string arrangement absolutely makes it?

I can think of several more…

http://jazzbackstory.blogspot.com/2014/06/an-ode-to-billie-joes-arranger.html