JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Favorite Tune...

One of my all-time favorite tunes: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...32741787E0D6131619473274&FORM=VRDGAR

I think I should have existed in that era.

John

Oh yeah! I've listened to big band since I was a kid. I made a cd of his songs that I liked. Forget the harps, Heaven's residents must be playing this....

I have about a hundred Big Band Albums. Handed down. I listened to them starting at the age of 8, when my dad played some. He loved the Dorsey Brothers, Glenn MIller and Benny Goodman. My mom loved Gene Krupa, since she saw him in England during WWII. Was a surprise guest. But she said she knew about him before. I got into Duke Ellington, who had such a great feel on his 88's! My fav live cut of his is from the Newport Jazz Festival when Paul Gonzalas on Sax was lit up, (drinking), and Duke let him go on and on for about 27 full progressions. The place is heard going nuts! A piano tuner friend of mine how was the first tuner who tuned my piano when I first got my Upright was Duke Ellington's tuner when Duke came to the philly, South Jersey area. Haddonfield Music Fair is where they first met. The tuner, (Jeff England, from Collingswood, NJ, deceased now), told me the whole story that Duke told him about Paul Gonzalas. When I listened to the live cut of that tine, called, Crescendo in C, I noticed how Ellington eventually calmed down the crowd, and with that same playing style after 27 go arounds, gave the hint to Gonzalas to wrap it up. It was GREAT, the whole piece, along with the whole live ablum!

I started to TRY to play in a Duke Ellington style as soon as my father bought my mother a piano for her birthday, which she played ONCE, that day. She had competition for the bench! Ha! That key of C, from that jam in C by Duke and Gonzalas, is why I played just about ALL my attempts at Jazz and Blues in the key of C. After years of doing that, I could play just about any jazz or blues piano in C with my eyes closed. To this day, it's C, even if I need to change the tuning on the keyboard, (when doing complicated jazz or blues playing in any song of mine). Thanks Duke Ellington!

Great topic, John L.:

I was a kid in WWII and Glen Miller and his band were practically a monopoly on the radio during that era. He had so many hits and many are now practically "old standards" and have been "covered" by many other bands and individual artists.

Duke Ellington's "A-Train" is still a treat for me. Ain't music grand! ----Dave

It's a classic, also Mood Indigo.

John, the best thing about big band music is the acoustics as you know. You don't play big band on the beach. You play Jimmy Buffet on the beach. I heard a big band play in an airplane hanger once. Best sound I ever heard (And I've heard Pink Floyd play in a stadium). You can't beat the sound of the horns in the right atmosphere.

Abso fricking lutely
........see also: moon river, I want to be around, wonderful world, one more for the road, american in paris, you might think and so many others one can be stupidly happy thinking about it.

Sorry, instead of you might think....I meant chances are...

Dammit, and frankie....one more for my baby, not one more for the road....gahhh

Hey John,

Yep, just put that on my playlist. Brings a smile. I used to play it on piano at any joint which had a grand piano and a classy vibe. It never failed. Ahhh...... gotta have another listen.

cheers, niteshift