[Dixielandjazz] Keys?

[Jim Kashishian]

  Marty wrote:
  I agree. I have heard Lou McGarity play it in F, and I have Nat Cole
singing
  it in G, very beautifully and it sounds great on trombone in G.  

Our sop sax (now retired) was a stickler for playing everything in its
original key.  Granted, that was better than what he had had to experience
with his first band in Germany where they played everything in Bb!
Nevertheless, I used to argue that the lead horn, or lead voice if it's a
vocal, could have license to change a key to fit that instrument.  

Some melodies are beautiful played on a trumpet, but if the melody line is
covered by the trombone instead, as an example, then there might be reason
to put the song into a different key to put the melody line into a better
range for that horn. It's not really a criminal act.  

Ideally, the musician should know the original key, knowingly changing the
key if 
he/she prefers. Many times, it's even fun to play a tune in a different key
to try to freshen it up a bit.  

Is there really a proper tempo or key to a song?  Just depends on the fancy
of the performer (if he can pull it off, of course!).  Granted, there are
tunes that fit best into a certain key, and certain tempo, but I don't
believe there should be "rules" about what the performer does, otherwise we
would end up all playing like each other.

Jim