I like the phrase “pocket symphony.” I first heard it used to describe “Good Vibrations,” a three-and-a-half-minute composition that takes the listener for an amazing ride, not unlike the effect of a full symphony, in a very short time.
But the piece that, to me, best exemplifies the phrase “pocket symphony” is “Frenesi” by Artie Shaw.
Or maybe “Powerhouse” by Raymond Scott.
There is probably a way to describe with words exactly what a pocket symphony is.
But the best way. If you have 10 minutes to spare, is to listen to them.
Warren Bluhm is an award-winning community journalist, twice winner of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s prestigious Robert T. Wright Memorial Award as the best local columnist in the state. His voice was heard in thousands of radio newscasts from Green Bay to Ripon for 22 years, and his words were featured in thousands of newspaper editions for more than a quarter-century after that. He has had a digital presence since 2005 with blog posts he has collected in 10 books to date, and he has seven additional works and collections of his fiction.
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