[Dixielandjazz] Re: Verses

[David W. Littlefield]

Hi all. a. Star Dust 1. All the records mentioned in the Hoagy thread are
in the 4-CD JSP set, which is budget priced. 2. The only stock chart I have
found that has the verse is the first one, by Jimmy Dale 1929, parts of
which were used by Armstrong. Later charts don't have it. Don Neely's Royal
Society Jazz Orch recorded it a couple of times.

b. Almost all pop and show tunes through the latter 30s had verses. The
sheet music included them. Curiously, though the stock charts almost always
included them, usually as part of a modulation to a different key, the
lyrics were not included, though the chorus lyrics are usually there. 

c. Someone mentioned that Ella Fitzgerald sometimes included them. Her many
"Songbook" CDs usually included them. In fact, she usually sang the tunes
straight, so anyone wanting to hear/learn the tunes with verses should
check out those CDs.

d. I've been upgrading "Dixieland Fake Book" by adding the verses to most
of the pop tunes. I think that many vocal performances of tunes such as
"Five foot two",  "Yes sir that's my baby", "Rose of Washington Square" are
greatly enhanced by singing the verse. The verses of some tunes enhance
even instrumental versions: "After you've gone", "Home", "Charleston".  

e. Many of the pop/show tunes in my "30s-40s Fake Book" include the verses.
I investigated Gershwin's verses and was disappointed to find that most of
them didn't have the musical quality of his standard tunes that are so
familiar to many of us. The problem lies in their being show tunes, and the
verses are trite show-tuney introductions to the pretty choruses. Of course
Gershwin's genius lay in the fact that the choruses are amenable to being
played in later jazz styles, most notably "Foggy day", whereas the verses
generally wouldn't make the cut.

On my website, the contents lists of the fake books have a "V" code by each
tune that includes the verse.
 
--Sheik
http://americanmusiccaravan.com
 
At 11:54 AM 07/24/05 +1000, Bill Haesler wrote:
>Dear Fred, 
>Regarding your query: >The discussion about "As Time Goes By" makes me think
>of how many tunes have the lyrics of the verse when sung.....What others?<
>How long is a piece of string?
>Our band uses verses on a regular basis, as they heighten a performance.
>Think of "Alexander's Ragtime Band". (We do it verse, chorus, verse,
>choruses. And often come back to the verse.)
>"Everybody Loves My Baby" is another song with a good verse.
>And what about the rarely heard verse to "Lulu's Back In Town"?
>In fact, the verse to many songs is occasionally better than the chorus.
>It also sets the theme for the main lyrics.