[Dixielandjazz] new tunes

[Jim Kashishian]

Hey, Bob (Ringwald), did you ever get around to playing "Are You Lonesome
Tonight"?  We added it to our list a couple of months ago, and it is a real
hit!  We do it as a light swing...not copying Elvis at all.  People still
recognize it, and it brings a lot of smiles.  It was written in 1927, long
before Elvis' time!  The chords are the same as "When You're Smiling", by
the way!
 
Another new one we are doing is "The Pink Panther" (La Pantera Rosa).  I
actually performed that one with Henry Mancini directing once.  That was
with a large tv band, and we did most of his famous tunes for a live tv
broadcast.  A real thrill for me.  Lovely man.  
 
But, back to the PP!  We did a mini-arrangement, and people look up as soon
as they hear the bu dumta dum...bu dumta dum!
The 16 bars where the improv goes are not chords that immediately ring in my
ears, though, and I'm struggling with that a bit.  Nasty to hear our trumpet
sub come in and read the arrangement by sight on stage & blow hell out of
his solo, too!  Oh, well.........
 
Jim