[Dixielandjazz] Preservation Hall Valentine

[Stephen G Barbone]

  Ron Wheeler wrote: (About I Can't Give You Anything But Love")

> Even improvisation should carry on some semblance of the tune.

Maybe not. IMO that depends upon the musician and the audience he is  
trying to reach.

>  I saw no
> evidence that the singer had ever heard it.  If he'd just changed  
> the words
> as well, he'd have had a whole new song.

Interesting. Consider " Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone", a  
totally new tune based upon the exact chord change sequences of "Five  
Foot Two". IMO, melodic improvisation is exactly that. Where the  
musician composes a new melody over the same chord changes of an  
existing tune. (Very difficult when done "on the spot")

IMO, References to the original melody mayl help the non-musician  
audience understand an improvisation, however a musical sequence that  
constantly references the melody is what I would call an  
Embellishment. .

There is a neat internet resource for "Jazz Improvisation" at the  
below website.

http://www.outsideshore.com/primer/primer/index.html

Folks can scroll through the index and then click on any part of the  
book. Amazing that it is all free and very educational for non- 
musicians interested in learning about the musical processes.  It is  
also interesting to musicians, like Berl, who seek more knowledge  
about improvising.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone