[Dixielandjazz] Rimsky Korsakoff

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

Rimsky Korsakoff, like Rachmaninov, was of course one of the people, according to Fats Waller, who had never heard of THE SPIDER AND THE FLY

THE BITE OF THE HUMBLE FLEA was a more standard and intelligible improvement of the title, and one surely in itself warranting a musical composition, something demanding, keeping listeners awake and musicians up to scratch? 


Mussorgsky certainly could not be accused of ignorance of fleas, looking at a list of his songs, let alone referring to tales of the shortcomings of his personal hygiene.
Rachmaninov does however have some jazz pedigree, with the parody in the RUSSIAN RAG of a Mr. Cobb, which was redone in a brilliantly funny solo piano recording by Joe Sullivan, who gave the item another name I can't for the moment remember. 

And there is the brilliant little recording by Teddy Wilson with Roy Eldridge and Chu Berry, which Wilson said had been inspired by dropping in to hear Jimmy Yancey not long before the session. BLUES IN C SHARP MINOR, key (which Yancey never recorded in) and title from the one of his compositions Rachmaninov was most heartily sick of -- the PRELUDE IN C SHARP MINOR which was a prelude to having to keep playing the number,  a weariness with the same repertoire certainly not unknown to Coleman Hawkins, but one which some Dixielanders have in the past seemed immune to, looking askance at suggestions they might try not to flog the same old warhorses ....

Ah, when the devils dart dancing in!

Robert R. Calder