[Dixielandjazz] Stardust key

[Hal Vickery]

This is a little late because I'm just getting online now, but I remember my
dad, who always said, "I'm not a musician, I'm a drummer," telling about a
musician (I think a pianist) he knew who played Stardust in the original
key.  It was Db.  Anecdotal?  Definitely.  But what the heck?

Hal Vickery

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of
dingle at baldwin-net.com
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 10:59 PM
To: billsharp
Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com; bhaesler at bigpond.net.au
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Stardust key

billsharp wrote:

>Bill Haesler wrote:
>
>[Carmichael brought his own chart to Detroit and met with Redman, who, 
>according to Sudhalter,
>"filled it out and corrected the voicings," although he left it in
>Carmichael's key, D major. " . ]. . . . . . .Well Bill, thanx so very 
>much for the extremely thorough information on Stardust.  It was quite 
>interesting to see how much time people have spent on the issue, and to 
>see that one single song could stir so much controversy.  There now 
>arises another question about the composition based upon the sentence 
>which I put in brackets.   Was Carmichael's key D major?  I thought it 
>was D-flat major, and I have seen it written it in Db or C, but never 
>in D.
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>  
>
I believe it was in D-flat -- at least many of the brassplayers I know 
play it in that key. C is more common.

But I will share this story about Hoagy and one of his tunes. In 1962 I 
was playing with Pete Bielmann, a fine tormbonist,
in his band at the Millionaire's Club on La Cienega in LA. On the band 
was clarinetist -- "The Sherriff" -- Bob McCracken, Hal Koster on piano, 
Doc Cenardo on drums, Pete, and myself on trumpet (no bass). My dad led 
a trio upstairs in another room. On a break Dad came down with Hoagy in 
tow to hear the band and meet his "kid" -- me.
It was the first time I met him and after all the stories about Hoagy 
from dad's time with Goldkette and Bix, it was like finally sharing 
another  piece of the Bix legend.
Pete asked Hoagy if he would like to sit in a number,  and he  said 
sure. Pete asked what he might want to play and Hoagy said" how about 
Riverboat Shuffle?"
Sure. So he kicked it off and we were suddenly in a  scramble to catch 
up with him. Hoagy's choice of key was G. Now the minor verse with all 
the triplets can be a busy enough thing in F, but in G it is for a B 
flat trumpet player a bass-ackward son of a bitch.
Hoagy laughed when  he heard the momentary chaos on the verse, and 
said..."I always forget to play it in F...but I wrote it in G and 
usually play it solo at home."
It was one scramble, and one pleasant meeting that I have never  forgotten.
Now if you really want a tune to keep you on your toes, try Baltimore 
Oriole, another of his tricky little gems.
Don Ingle

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