[Dixielandjazz] Time Wallpaper now Jimmy Durante

[Len Nielsen]

Hey Stan, no fair dissing Jimmy Durante. :)

In my mind I would rank him above a couple of the others on that list. I
knew he was a piano player and a band leader but I didn't know if he had
ever recorded as such so I did a google search and found that he had
started playing Ragtime piano professionally in 1911 and had recorded
jazz music as early as 1918. It seems he made his living this way for at
least 20 years along with the other pioneers of the music.

Even putting this aside, he was a star on Broadway, he played piano, he
sang, he did radio shows, he spent time on television and he starred in
movies as well as acting in vaudeville. He put his own recognizable
stamp on everything that he did.

I just listened to a couple of his recordings "Make Someone Happy" and
"Try a Little Tenderness" the latter he recorded many years before Otis
Redding made a hit with it in the late 60's. His singing style is unique
and you can't help thinking good thoughts and smiling as you listen.

He certainly paid his dues and although he is not widely known as a jazz
musician many others from that generation are not widely known either.

He remains, for me, a totally likeable personality (his bio says
loveable) and having his name connected to jazz can only be a good thing.

Len Nielsen

P.S.

Once upon a time they sang the Boe Dee O Doe
But that was long ago
Then everybody started in ta Boop Oop a Doop
They got tired of that you know
(a whoop, whoop from the band)
(spoken with attitude)
"How do you like those guys
Everybody puts in extra notes
I'll overlook it !!"
But the tune for you and me
Is that swinging symphony.

Dink a dink a dee, a dink a doo, a dink a dee
Oh what a tune for croonin
Ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo, a dink a dee
It's got the whole world spoonin
Eskimo bells up in Iceland, are ringing
They've made their own Paradiseland, singing
Ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo, a dink a dee
Simply means, Ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo.

Ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo
(spoken) Let me hear that choir!
(choir) Oh what a tune for croonin
(spoken) Colosious!
Ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo
(spoken) Let me hear that band!
(band plainly sweetly)
(spoken) Stupendious!
(spoken) Now let me hear the trumpets
(flutes and piccolos)
(exasperated) That's not a trumpet!
(flutes and clarinets)
(more exasperated) That's not a trumpet!
(tuba, descending run of notes)
(in a loving voice) THAT'S a trumpet!!!
Ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo, a dink a dee
Simply means, ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo.

Ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo, a dink a dee
(choir) Oh what a tune for croonin
(spoken) That's enough fellows, Ill take it from here.
(spoken)" You know boys
Last week I sang for the Sultan of Pasha
And the Sultan offered me his harem of 500 beautiful women
But I turned hin down
WHO WANTS TO FIND A 1000 STOCKINGS HANGING IN THE BATHROOM!!
NOT DURANTE!!!!"
Ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo, a dink a deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
(spoken) That note was given to me by Bing Crosby
And he was glad to get rid of it
hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
Simply means, ink a dink a dee, a dink a doo!!!

















	Stan Brager wrote:
> Time magazine allowed me to download a new wallpaper for my computer's
> desktop - it's the Time magazine covers featuring jazz musicians. I don't
> know who made the selections of which covers to use, but the 6 covers
> feature the following artists:
> 
> Louis Armstrong
> Wynton Marsalis
> Duke Ellington
> Thelonius Monk
> Dave Brubeck
> Jimmy Durante
> 
> Until now, I never realized Durante's great contribution to jazz (read with
> sarcasm in your voice).
> 
> Stan
> Stan Brager
> 
> 
> 
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