[Dixielandjazz] Re: NEW TUNES FOR OKOM?

[Dan Augustine]

Steve and DJML--
     As usual, Steve is "spot on" (as they say in the UK; curious 
locution, what?).  I've been wanting to dixiefy Billy Joel for years, 
and i think a number of his songs might lend themselves to such a 
treatment.  What better way to connect with people of a certain 
(ahem) age than Billy Joel, who could actually write a melody with 
harmony and rhythm?
     Other fairly recent artists whose songs i've been meaning to 
dixiefy include Leon Russell ("Dixie Lullaby"), the Supremes ("The 
Happening"), and Maria Muldaur ("Any Old Time"). It has been a 
fevered desire of mine for years (well, that might be overstating the 
case a bit) to dixiefy "Piano Man", even though this is a waltz.  (I 
never have understood why you can't do dixieland-waltzes.)
     Or (but admittedly this would take a bit of work on your part, 
something devoutly to be unwished by many), go look at the so-called 
"Top 10" list of songs for the past 30 years (in rock, country, and 
folk, and other styles) and see how many of them might be dixiefied. 
My guess is that the ones that actually have a rememberable melody 
and/or non-standard harmonies, or just a good beat, might work.  (Has 
anyone done "Satisfaction" by the Stones?)
     Seems to me that the dixieland-principle includes as a main tenet 
that this kind of music is a _style_, not a set and forevermore 
rigidly prescribed list of old songs that nobody remembers except 
your dead grandfather.  Turk said that he liked to play one song the 
audience knew, then one song the band knew, just to keep things 
interesting for both sides.  Works for me.

     Dan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2005 15:09:10 -0400
>From: Steve barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] NEW TUNES FOR OKOM?
>
>Funny how things happen. We just booked a jazz wedding for a restaurant
>owner client. He and fiancee are jazz fans, mid 30s. Discussed their wishes
>this morning.
>
>Low key, "look like jazz musicians", play Swing/Dixieland/American Songbook.
>
>"Their song" request? "Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel. The rhythm
>section knows the tune, but I do not so I thought I'd get it. Almost
>succumbed to getting it free on the web or DJML, but stayed true to the high
>road and went to my local music store for it.
>
>Ended up buying the complete songbook of Billy Joel Hits for about $40.
>
>Why? Because I thought, gee, instead of some 80 year old obscure tunes,
>maybe Billy Joel is adaptable to Dixieland and/or Jazz. After looking at
>"Just The Way You Are", which IMO is completely adaptable, I bought the
>whole book.
>
>Why? Because that age group, say 30 to 60, knows and loves the music of
>Billy Joel. And that's a hard age group from which to garner OKOM fans.
>And we've had some prior success Dixiefying some of the Beetles music.
>
>Anybody out there doing Billy Joel, or Bruce Springsteen, or? Seems to me to
>be a hell of a way to get more audience in addition to all the other things
>Barbone Street does to attract the jazz oblivious.
>
>Playing music that people know at places where people are. Just add a little
>JAZZ. What could be simpler?
>
>Cheers,
>Steve Barbone

-- 
**--------------------------------------------------------------------**
**  Dan Augustine     Austin, Texas     ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu  **
**             "O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet."             **
**                     -- St. Augustine (354-430)                     **
**--------------------------------------------------------------------**