We realize that we've been interrupting our Odyssey with a lot of Soundtrack Spotlights lately. To make up for that, this month we're interrupting the Odyssey with a new Odyssey Interview! Back in October of 2021, Yavar had an in-depth conversation with Retired Chief Master Sergeant Mike Davis, who served as chief arranger for the U.S. Air Force band for many years. Among Davis's numerous musical endeavors was a reconstruction of Jerry Goldsmith's "The Thunder of Imperial Names" (originally written for the 1957 radio production 1489 Words), which in turn inspired Goldsmith himself to re-examine his original piece. Over the course of this wide-ranging interview, Davis talks about his personal and professional encounters with Goldsmith, his own efforts as a composer and sole experience writing for film, his work with the U.S. Air Force Band, his role in the creation of Goldsmith's now-iconic "The Generals" Suite, the experience of working in Hollywood on a '70s Goldsmith recording, encounters with other legendary film composers such as Henry Mancini, Elmer Bernstein, and Richard Rodney Bennett... and much more! Lots of great stories and great music in this one, so do your patriotic duty and give it a listen! Please send your correspondence to [email protected].