[Dixielandjazz] Free upgraded "Panama" lead sheet

dwlit at cpcug.org dwlit at cpcug.org
Tue Nov 17 06:52:27 PST 2009


Hi gang. I'll send my upgraded lead sheet *free* to anyone who wants it. I
have C, Bb, bass cleff and Eb versions.

I sent you the following report previously, but only got one response.

Goal: to find the best recording for musicians wanting to learn the tune.
The reference is "Panama" p. 148 in my "Dixieland Fake Book Vol. 1"

The routines on the records differ so wildly, and the lead horn often
embellishes the melody so much, that learning the tune with some
accuracy is extremely difficult.

I made a database of ca. 40 "Panama" records from the 20s-90s,
with fields for each strain and a field for routines found, so I could
compare the various recordings to find:

1. whether I needed to modify my lead sheet
2. records people could use to learn the tune.

The original sheet music and orchestration are so different from the jazz
version that the most useful lead sheet would codify the "standard" jazz
version.

I haven't been able to find my sources for the sheet, which was
made in late 1999 or early 2000. It must have been a good one, because I
found that my strains and the Ending are essentially accurate, and indeed,
surprisingly, I have been able to document from one or more records
the vast majority of the melody notes and their phrasing in *each measure*.

My one major discovery is that many records insert a solo strain
with the chord pattern
(In Ab) Db///   ////   Ab///   ////,  Eb7///   ////   Ab///   ////
[repeat the 8 bars]
(sometimes it's in Eb)
I inserted the chords for that strain into the upgraded sheet as an option.

I noted a few records that are useful models for learners. These
are the best records for learning the tunes.

The printed version of the database has 3 fields:
Artist, routine, whether the record is a useful model for learners. I'll
send it to anyone who wants it.

--Sheik





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