[Dixielandjazz] Swin those songs was NEW TUNES FOR OKOM?

LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing sign.guy at charter.net
Sun Jun 19 14:01:37 PDT 2005


Yes I am aware of the Swingle Singers and I even have at least one of their albums and I am aware that you can swing those composers and yes I do know you can quote them but it isn't an improvement over the original.  The Swingle albums were useful in introducing students to the masters (switched on Bach for another) to a point.  Everything can't be swung and few swing tunes can become rock.  Of course that's my opinion.  Taking spaghetti and throwing soy sauce on it doesn't make it Chinese.  Trying to swing a tune like Titanic or almost any of the rock composers just makes the tunes sound dumb.  I work occasionally with a drummer that just can't seem to get it in his mind that there's anything else than swing.

I should also point out that the Swingle singers, Switched on Bach and the many Disco renderings of the masters ( a fifth of Beethoven etc) were just flashes in the pan and while popular for a short time they, thankfully, went away.

Speaking of quoting during solos.  Some guys are so predictable I just can't wait for Rule Britannia or some other cute thing to pop up in their solos.  Having said that, the audience seems to enjoy them.

Speaking of the masters.  I do think they would like the different interpretations of their work.  To be copied is a form of flattery.  The only two that I  think that might not like changes were Bach and Beethoven.  Bach because he came from a very straight laced society and Beethoven because he was generally mad at everything and I really don't think he liked his life outside of music much.  Mozart on the other hand was I think a lot like Elton John and would have gotten a kick out of it and then suggested changes to make it better.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Charlie Hooks 
  To: Steve barbone 
  Cc: LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing ; john petters ; DJML 
  Sent: Sunday, June 19, 2005 3:26 PM
  Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Swin those songs was NEW TUNES FOR OKOM?


  On Sunday, June 19, 2005, at 02:45 PM, Larry wrote:


      the stuff they
      write just won't work any more than adapting Bach or Mozart to swing or
      rock.



  I take it you never heard Ward Swingle's The Swingle Singers.

  That bunch in Paris during the early 60s made Bach swing like Benny Goodman, and they did a Mozart album that was almost as good. 

  Try this: get a bass player who can play (preferably down to low C on piano) and have him just play the original notes to the bass line on "Air on the G String) and think: this line swings! It will. I play it just with clarinet and bass, then add piano and drums. You can swing it beautifully without doing violence to Bach--who, I think, would have loved it! Haven't tried it with tenor, but might work even better. You do need a piano player who can read the original, as least the first time through.

  Charlie

  ____________________________________________
  "Under every stone lurks a politician." --Aristophanes


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