[Dixielandjazz] Question of Body and Soul

[Gary Kiser]

According to musicologist/historian Philippe Baudoin, B&S was, in fact, 
written in C. Yet, he has it in his famous chord book in Db. He lists 
the recordings below, but doesn't note keys. Recordings with singers 
aren't usually good references for keys as singers were invented to make 
musician's lives hell. But, it would be (a very little bit) interesting 
to know in what keys these records were made and if an artist recorded 
B&S more than once, did he/she record in the same key each time?

I don't know when or why B&S started getting played in Db, but, to be 
honest, I prefer the sound of Db to C. I have had to play B&S in Eb too 
and I really don't like how it sounds. Like Stardust -- also written in 
C -- it just sounds better (to me) in Db.

All the best, Gary


L. Armstrong - 30,47,49,56,57
B. Goodman - 35,45,62
A. Tatum - 37,44,53,56
Quintet HCF - 37
C. Berry - 38
C. Hawkins - 39,44,56,59
J. Dorsey - 39
B. Holiday - 40,46,56,57
E. Ellington - 40,58,61
E. Hines - 40
T. Wilson - 41,45
S. Grappelli - 41
N. Cole - 44
R. Eldridge - 44
C. Cole - 44
D. Byas - 46
J. Teagarden - 47,53
E. Garner - 49,51
B. Powell - 50
C. Parker - 50
O. Peterson - 51,54
J. Albany - 51
S. Getz - 52
L. Hampton - 54,55(w/Tatum & B. Rich),56
J. Raney - 54
M. Roach - 56
E. Fitzgerald - 57,62,65
S. Rollins - 58
A. Pepper - 58
W. Montgomery - 60
J. Coltrane - 60
A. Casey - 60
B. Carter - 61
B. Clayton - 61
P. Gonsalves - 63



On 2014-01-16 20:40, Ken Gates wrote:
> I have read that Louis Armstrong first recorded it.
> This link  ---   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixNwG18WIQ8
> is from 1930.  If my ear is correct, this version begins with the
> A part in the key of Eb  --- then to C for the vocal.  I found a
> 1933 version with L.A. and his big band --also in Eb.  I found
> a Django recording of 1937 or 8 also in Eb.
> 
> A Chu Berry and Roy Eldridge recording of 1938 ---seems to
> begin in the key of C with the tenor sax and when Eldridge takes
>  his solo -- I hear it as Db. Those with better ears than mine
> may find that to be incorrect.
> 
> I'm wondering if the original key was Db--- or did that become the
> "standard key" after the 1938 Chu Berry  or 1939 Coleman Hawkins
> recordings.  This is about the A part --- the bridge key changes
> are not the subject of this question.
> 
> Thanks for listening.
> 
> Ken Gates


-- 
Gary Kiser
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