[Dixielandjazz] South Pacific Lives On In Jazz

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Apr 9, 2008, at 11:38 AM, pj.ladd wrote:

> 'South Pacific' Lives On in Jazz>>
>
>   Hi Steve, I can only think that SP had a much greater success in  
> the US than the UK. Of course it was a tremendous hit but I cannot  
> remember any of the follow up `Jazzed` stuff making much impression.  
> The fact that I don`t remember them at all I suppose is indicative .
>
> The whole show was ruined for me by the film with someone called  
> Rosano Brazzi (I think) who either acted the lead with a dubbed  
> voice or was the voice I forget which. In any case I considered him,  
> acting or singing to be absolutely useless. Added to that the  
> pictures of a model of a  PBY Catalina being swung on a piece of  
> string against a flawless blue sky dotted with anti aircraft shell  
> bursts which looked suspiciously like clumps of cotton wool  
> completed my impression that the whole thing was a load of rubbish.
>
> Honey Bun was the best number in the show.
>

I agree, the movie was AWFUL. But the play was SUPERB. (I saw both)

Perhaps it was so popular in the States because the South Pacific War  
was so very personal to us.

I am surprised that you do not remember the jazzed up versions of  
these wonderful Richard Rodgers songs. Barbone Street plays many of  
them often and they are adored by audiences.

One of my favorites, not mentioned in the article, is "Happy Talk".  
Bright, upbeat and it works very well as a Dixieland number.

Richard Rodgers? Shoot, I remember and still play a lot of his  
wonderful songs as jazz, though he hated jazz versions of his tunes.  
Like the time he was in a club when Peggy Lee sang her 4/4 rapid  
version of "Lover". She then went over to his table:

Lee (happily):  "What a thrill to see you Richard. How did you like  
'Lover'?"

Rodgers (sarcastically): "Peggy dear, I wrote it as a waltz."

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband