[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Standards, Sweet Georgia Brown

Bill Haesler bhaesler at bigpond.net.au
Wed Oct 15 16:06:44 PDT 2014


Dingo wrote [in part]:
> ...one of my favourite versions can be found @:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSZNlfISNvU
> It's fast and bubbling over with adrenalin but, to my ear, and from memory of my LP copy, this presentation of it is too fast.

Dear John,
It does sound slightly 'speeded up' musically, as opposed to just being a fast tempo.
So, following your reply to Bob Ringwald, I checked it out.
The YouTube clip of the EP you provided is timed at 8m:34s.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSZNlfISNvU
Googling the Mercury/Clef/Verve LP revealed that the original timing was 9.35.
I then found this YouTube taken from the Verve LP: 
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLMZMrUPM2M
I put both of them in my iTunes Library and an ear comparison tells me that you are right.
That EP is faster.
Well remembered dear friend.
However, so far as its jazz content is concerned, apart from the Mel Powell piano solo, this mouldy fig found the others too long and lacking invention.
Not to be outdone, I tried to recall a definitive hot jazz rendition of "Sweet Georgie Brown", starting with the first one in March 1925 recorded by its co-composer Ben Bernie and his Roosevelt Orchestra.
By dipping into the 1600 versions listed in Tom Lord's 'Jazz Discography' I came across good recordings by Cab Calloway, the California Ramblers, Isham Jones, Art Hodes and Harry James (all on YouTube).
But didn't come across a real knockout rendition.
There has to be at least one made between 1925 and 2014.
Very kind regards,
Bill. 




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