[Dixielandjazz] Re: About "Sorry" Chords

[Stephen Barbone]

>
> "Ivor Jones" <banjones at oninet.pt> wrote (polite snip)
> Apart from this I found it interesting in
> transposing all the chord sequences to the key of Eb, which is the key
> Bix plays, or played, that there were some passages that were quite
> different to each other. Having now played all four variations in
> concert with the recording, I have my opinion as to which sounds the
> best to my admittedly non-tutored ears, and wild horses would not drag
> that choice out of me. It remains to me to pose the question to more
> educated ears, why there should be a disparity at all?

Ivor & List mates:

I think the difference in the chords reflects the source from whence they came. And,
what Bix played as 'His" version.

Some Chord sources are 1) transcriptions from records. 2) transcriptions from original
sheet music, 3) transcriptions from non-original sheet music 4) Somebody's own writing
them from what he heard., using substitutions or extended chords etc., etc.

For example, the chords I sent you were transcribed from the Original Sheet Music by a
well known OKOM pianist / horn player / band leader. Therefore, unless he made an
error, or I did in transcribing them on the I Mac, those are the correct original
chords as written by the original composer or copywriter. (Note, not a 9th in the batch
because technically I don't think people wrote 9ths in those days.)

Even so, Bix may have played something else since he was not a good reader. He would
have learned by memory from listening to someone else playing the tune. So if someone
transcribed what he played (if the above is true) you might well get a different set of
changes.

I have chords for 3 versions of "My Favorite Things" for example. The original, The one
transcribed from Coltrane's record (slightly different) and another from some where
else. They all work, but they are all different.

So, you never know what you have, unless you have the Original Sheet Music. That's why
keeping that music in print is so important.

That is also why when someone say Panama has 4 strains, I will correct them, if asked,
saying no, it has 5 strains plus an intro and a tag. And the strains have various
different ending chords depending upon how many times you play them. Why? Because that
is what is on the Original music.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone