[Dixielandjazz] Hoagy's New Orleans

[Steve Barbone]

Here are the Chords to "New Orleans". As I posted yesterday, please note
also that it is an AABA (referring to chordal structure) tune, 16 bars long,
with each chordal section being 4 bars. And the B section is the bridge:

Pickup notes are Ds.

1st A Sec: /Gm-A7/ D7-G7/C7-F7/ Bb-D7/
2nd A Sec:      EXACT REPEAT
    B Sec: /D7-Eb/D7/Gm-A7/D7/  OR USE KASH'S suggested chords.
3rd A Sec  EXACT REPEAT OF A SECS ABOVE

It was a Tin Pan Alley Song. Usually those were of 32 bar AABA (Chordal, not
Verse/Chorus) structure. Why? Because that is the formula that sold best and
made the most money for songwriters. However, there were also other formats
written like the above 16 bar AABA. Ja Da is another example. And 64 bar
AABAs and AAAs and who knows what else.

Why did Hoagy Carmichael write it that way? I don't know either but here are
a few suggestions as to why he might have.

1) BECAUSE HE COULD. He was a very talented song writer. His songs vary in
style so there is no definitive Hoagy. Like from Stardust, Skylark and New
Orleans to Heart and Soul and Georgia.

2) BECAUSE HE REBELLED when some Tin Pan Alley music Policeman said you
shouldn't/couldn't write 16 bar AABA songs, and HC wanted to show him up.

3) BECAUSE HE WAS A JAZZ MAN and so-called rules were made to be broken.

4) BECAUSE OF THE TEMPO. When played very slowly and sexily this tune sounds
long. If a 32 bar AABA, it would be VERY LONG.

5) BECAUSE 16 BARS of AABA IS "RIGHT". Can anyone suggest another 16 bars
that would improve this tune?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone