[Dixielandjazz] Powerful verse

[Marvin Ipswitch]

Robert Calder wrote:

*"There is presumably?some connection between the ditching of verses and the
Paul
Whiteman warning that if bands?set the?crowd listening rather than moving
the
dance-halls would empty, ?

Also, some verses are almost all word and in instrumental performance don't
introduce but postpone the arrival of the chorus. But even if you don't play
the
intro by knowing it you have encountered some ideas of how to begin the
performance. And there is a species of tune, as Constant Lambert observed,
which
are exhausted by being played once.? All anybody can ever do with one of
these
is to play it again.*"

Perhaps a listen to some Whiteman sides might be in order. Seems to me
there's no correlation,
as his band played lots of verses - quite frequently without vocals. Or am I
failing to understand?

These come to mind:
Back in Your Own Backyard
Sugar
If I Had a Talking Picture of You
You Took Advantage of Me
Ol' Man River
Sea Buriel
How About Me
It Won't Be Long Now (marvelous trumpet solo by Tommy Dorsey, btw!)

And I'm sure there are many more by Whiteman.

>From my listening experience I encounter fewer verses being played into the
1930s. I doubt that playing or not playing a verse would have much to do
with how the dancers/public perceived the number. Perhaps it boils down to
some simple explanation, such as the publishers not including verses with
the stock arrangements.

In thinking about Red Allen's Down in Jungletown, it's likely they didn't
play the verse because the music certainly would not have been readily
available, and likely it wasn't remember by members of the band. (Pure
speculation, however, on my part).

Cheers,
Marvin