[Dixielandjazz] "My Iguana"

Bill Haesler bhaesler at bigpond.net.au
Fri Oct 18 14:39:46 PDT 2013


> I'm curious about a tune I found in the Charles Anderson collection, p. 
> 3635.
> It's described as "Iguana" by Danny Rubio, in Fm/Bb.
> Does anyone know who Danny Rubio is and also when he wrote this tune?
> Thanks,
> Bruce Stangeland
> 
> ***********
> Dear Bruce,
> A Danny Rubio played piano on a Banu Gibson record (Uptown UR101) 'Oh, Jazz Me' in 1980. 
> The tune "Iguana" was recorded by the Black Dog Jazz Band in 1989, although my copy lists it as "My Iguana".
> It is the same song.
> In this case, my now almost non-existant reading skills were not needed.
> Steve Yokum sings the lyrics from the Anderson version.
> Very kind regards,
> Bill.

************

> My name is Ira Guttman and I can give you the whole story on this song since I am the lyricist.  
> The Danny Rubio Bill talks about above is correct.  Danny Rubio and I met working at Your Father's Mustache Banjo Nightclub in New York (where we also worked with Steve Yokum).  
> We collaborated on several songs, including "My Iguana" (the actual original title). It was written in 1976 and somewhere along the way, my name got deleted.  Danny Rubio now resides in Louisiana and I live in New Jersey.
> If you need any further info, please do not hesitate to contact me at this email address.
> Sincerely,
> Ira Guttman

Dear Ira,
Thank you for the reply and information.
I had forgotten about that three-month-old DJML thread.
Given the alternative titles "Iguana/My Iguana" it is interesting that we hit on the right one.
I have information regarding ten more recordings of "Iguana", but suspect (apart from, maybe, the Bearcats Jazz Band) that they are probably not your co-composition.

•The Lounge Lizards	1979-1981
•Ray Obiedo	1990
•The Bearcats Jazz Band	1996
•Aquarell	1997
•Hard Rubber Orchestra	1997
•Loren Schoenberg	1997
•Blue Dog	  1999
•Bill O'Connell Latin Jazz Project	   2001
•Chris Cortez	2007
•Takao Iwaki

Very kind regards,
Bill.


  


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