[Dixielandjazz] More on Panama

[Stephen G Barbone]

What I saw was a photocopy of the piano sheet music of Panama.  It is  
actually in the form of a Rag. (But Not to be confused with Panama  
Rag) For folks who want to see an original arrangement for orchestra,  
the following site, (Library of Congress) offers the below  
information:  (Sheik, you are close by the Library, go for it)

NOTE: If you surf the site, note the "parts views" on the left side of  
the page. You can view the different instrumental parts by clicking  
there.  What I saw, was not as complicated as the piano part at the  
Library of Congress.

"101 Rare Rags" American Ragtime Company, 12157 Paisley Drive, Loves  
Park IL, 61111, (Compiled and Edited by Richard Zimmerman) includes  
Panama Piano Music in simpler form. The book is available through the  
Professor Bill Edwards website.
http://www.perfessorbill.com/pbmidi7.shtml
Go there, then scroll down about 1/5 of the way for a cover picture  
and the below description:

William H. Tyers - 1911: A great many musical ideas and themes in  
ragtime were derived from Spanish rhythms, largely due to the rising  
popularity of the tango, but also because of a number of Mariachi  
style musicians from Mexico who had infiltrated the New Orleans music  
scene. This made sense, because the tango was actually born out of the  
much older habañera, a rhythm export of seventeenth through nineteenth  
century Africa utilized by Spanish settlers in Central and South  
America. Both rhythms are prevalent throughout the works ofFerdinand  
"Jelly Roll" Morton, and are even found in pieces by more traditional  
composers, such as the habañera in Scott Joplin's Solace.Panama no  
doubt capitalizes not only on the popularity of these "Spanish tinge"  
pieces, but also on the public's fascination with the newly built  
Panama Canal. Virginia-born Tyers was composing Spanish-tinged pieces  
as early as 1896, this one being his best known. It has since become a  
popular traditional jazz piece, but usually with the inherent tango  
rhythm excised. The A and B sections compliment each other nicely in  
both structure and progression. The C section starts a new rhythm, and  
the pattern lends itself to a long crescendo into the D section. Here  
we find a foundation for some delightful improvisations including many  
very familiar Latin rhythms and melodic devices. The closing after the  
repeat of A brings the dancers (or the listeners) to a very relaxed  
conclusion.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband

SOURCE:  http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.100010388/full.html
Panama : A characteristic novelty / William H. Tyers [instrumental  
parts]
Title
Panama : A characteristic novelty [Instrumental parts]
Composer
Tyers, William H.
Place of Publication/Creation
New York
Type of Material
notated music
Date Issued
1911
Publisher
Leo Feist
Form
Instrumental parts
Physical Description
36 p., 10 3/4 x 7 in.
  notes
Parts: piano, 1st violin (2), 2nd violin, viola, cello, bass, flute &  
piccolo, oboe, bassoon, 1st clarinet in A, 2nd clarinet in A, horns in  
F, 1st cornet in A, 2nd cornet in A, trombone, drums.
Copyright MCMXI by Leo Feist, 134 W.37th St., N.Y.
Notes
1 blank page. Most reverses are advertisements.
probably arranged by the composer