[Dixielandjazz] George Rock - Minka

[Stan Brager]

Bob;

My guess would be Mozart.

Is there a prize?

Stan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Gunter" <jazzboard at hotmail.com>
To: <sbrager at socal.rr.com>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2005 10:29 PM
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] George Rock - Minka


> Hello all,
>
> Stan Brager wrote (regarding the authorship of the Russian melody "Minka")
>
> >As a young teenager, I enjoyed the music of Spike Jones. One of my
> >favorites
> >was "Minka" which was a solo feature for trumpeter George Rock. The label
> >even credited Rock as the composer.
> >
> >A few days ago, I was listening to a CD by Wynton Marsalis called
> >"Carnaval". One of the tunes is "Grand Russian Fantasia" by Jules Levy.
The
> >main theme is the same as "Minka". It is a classical trumpet solo with
> >orchestra piece written by Jules Levy and it's called "Grand Russian
> >Fantasia". For those of you who remember Spike Jones' "Minka", you can
hear
> >the "Grand Russian Fantasia" at this website:
> >
> >http://www.fromthetop.org/Radio/Performers.cfm?pid=1669
> >
> >Please let me know if you agree.
>
> There's certainly no question that "Minka" and the "Grand Russian
Fantasia"
> are the same melody.
>
> Is it possible that neither Rock nor Levy actually wrote the melody but
> simply borrowed it from an earlier (possibly folk song) version.  Much
like
> Kenny Ball took the song "Moscow Nights" and played it like a dixie tune
> with trombone glisses and all that good stuff and renamed it "Midnight in
> Moscow."
>
> By the way . . . who wrote the children's melody "Twinkle Twinkle Little
> Star?"
>
> Respectfully submitted,
>
> Bill Gunter
> jazzboard at hotmail.com
>
>
>