[Dixielandjazz] Tune Detectives - was Public Domasin Songs

[Stephen G Barbone]

Eddie Condon loved to tell this story about Tune Detectives from ACSCP  
at one of his gigs years ago. It was for The Chamber Music Society of  
Lower Basin Street. In those days, the tune detectives would attend  
performances and/or rehearsals. Especially this one which was to be  
broadcast by one of NYC's major radio networks.

The band was a quartet consisting of Condon, Joe Sullivam, Dave Tough  
and Pee Wee Russell.

The first tune was an original Joe Sullivan composition and the  
ASCAP'ers agreed that it was not subject to license fees. But they  
argued about the second tune which was a Blues, with Russell playing  
the melody.

The tune detectives would not believe that it was an original Condon  
composition which is the story Condon and Pee Wee agreed to. So they  
played it with Pee Wee improvising the melody. The TDs said it sounded  
OK, by how could they be assured that Russell would play it the same  
way that night on the broadcast?

Condon took them aside and said that Pee Wee was famous for always  
playing a tune the same way without variation and that he always  
repeated the same notes teach time. It was a remarkable gift of genius  
he added. So the TDs said yeah, that's right. I knew he was famous but  
just couldn't remember why.

The OKed the number but stuck around for the actual broadcast. Now Pee  
Wee as many of us know was totally unable to play a song improvisation  
the same way twice and he played a very different blues melody  
improvisation on the broadcast.

When finished, the TDs shook Condon's hand saying that Pee Wee was  
indeed remarkable and played it exactly the same way as in rehearsal  
adding that if the other jazz musicians were like Pee Wee and Condon,  
giving them no trouble, their jobs would be easy.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband

PS note to Dave. You could slightly modify a tune, not in public  
domain, call it something else, or call it your own composition, and  
probably escape detection.