[Dixielandjazz] Down in Jungle Town

[Scott Anthony]

Sorry, I have to partially disagree with a couple of the comments.

I think verses add "variety" and generally much-needed interest to most 
tunes, although, admittedly, some verses seem to be afterthoughts and are 
really, really boring. However, if they are at all interesting and the tunes 
are performed as vocals, the verse is important in setting up the "story" 
and explaining the chorus that follows. Without them it would be like 
playing just the second strain of "Maple Leaf Rag" over and over and over - 
the form of the composition would be completely lost.

In addition, I think some verses (like Chris Smith's "Ballin' the Jack," 
"Down in Honky Tonk Town," and "Messin' Around") are infinitely more 
harmonically interesting than their choruses and are actually MORE fun to 
play. Ever heard the verse to "Chicago?" It's really wonderful!

A number of beautiful verses that come to mind that really make their 
choruses even more special are "Memories Of You," "My Blue Heaven," and "Old 
Fashioned Love." The fact that few of the old big-name bands didn't play 
verses may be because the tunes were performed/recorded as 
instrumental-only, and the verses' story setup function was not necessary. 
Then again, maybe they were just too lazy to learn them, or there wasn't 
enough time to include them, whatever.

Just my two cents.

Scott Anthony



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <dwlit at cpcug.org>
To: <santh at comcast.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>; "john p" 
<birchall1 at btinternet.com>; <dwlit at cpcug.org>; <lherault at bu.edu>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 6:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Down in Jungle Town


>I think that some of these verses add much to the "Down in..." tunes, even
> sans vocals.
>
> I suspect that Allen omitted it for the same reason Artie Shaw, Benny
> Goodman and others omitted the verse to "Stardust", and the 40s jazzbos
> rarely included verses: it was too hard, or certainly less fun, to jazz
> 'em...
>
> --Sheik
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> Many thanks to Ron, Ingemar and the two Johns for their speedy supply of
>> the verse (and chorus). Having played the verse through, I think I can
>> understand why Red Allen dispensed with it and just played the chorus! I
>> suspect my chart will do likewise, although I'll keep playing the verse 
>> in
>> case it grows on me.
>>
>> Ken Mathieson
>
>
>
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