How common are these songs for jams?

Charles Meadows

Just trying to bone up the repertoire for DiJ.

Do these come up often?

Impromptu, Blue Drag, Topsy, Blues en Mineur.

adrian

Based on my experience, you listed them in order from most obscure to most played.

Minor Blues is very common. Topsy and Blue Drag are the kinds of tunes you pull out at a long jam after you've exhausted the usual suspects. Impromptu, I've personally never played at a jam.

Caveat: this is my own experience, tainted by the "scenes" I've jammed in (Django in June, Djangofest Northwest, the Chicago scene).

Adrian

Charles Meadows

Thanks! Let me lay out just a few more...

Never be another you, China Boy, R Vingt 6.

crookedpinky

I think we've played China Boy once in 7 years at the Hot Club of Glasgow. Never played R Vingt 6.

Jon

Yeah, it's a pity though, as Impromtu is a great tune, as is R Vingt 6. I wonder why some of these tunes aren't played...they're not complicated, although there are a couple of versions of the R VIngt 6 bridge, which is maybe confusing when you're at a jam, and Impromtu has two sets of changes for solos and head. Maybe that's annoying for people? China Boy is a great jam tune too. Oh well...

crookedpinky

It'd be interesting to do a poll of the top jam tunes. At a recent jam I found that very few people wanted to play slower songs - Danse Norvegienne, Si Tu Savais, Claire De Lune and some brilliant songs just get missed completely - Menilmontant, Melodie Au Crepuscule. What really saddened was the need to refer to chord sheets for simple and often repetitive from a chord progression point of view songs. Ah well c'est la vie.

Charles Meadows

What about waltzes? I guess those lend themselves more to a single player with the others playing rhythm. I think the waltzes are some of my absolutely fav GJ tunes to play.

Scoredog

A top 20 list might be interesting though my guess is it will swell to a much larger number

Jon

A poll could sort it out...can we do polls on the new forum?

BluesBop Harry

Ten years ago I asked a somewhat similar question about tunes for jams
http://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/507/ten-essential-gypsy-jazz-tunes#latest

This was the top 10 list then
-Minor Swing
-Sweet Georgia Brown
-All of me
-Nuages (G)
-Honeysuckle Rose
-Djangology
-Dark Eyes
-Swing 42
-Belleville
-I Can´t Give you Anything But Love
Extras:
-Autumn Leaves
-Bossa Dorado

Ten years later, I've been to five Samois and a couple of US festivals, French and Canadian players have passed through here...

This was my experience:

I don't think I've played Belleville too much at jams, neither Djangology or Swing 42. They get in, just not very often.

Nuages and Honeysuckle get some play though not as much as I expected.
Dark eyes still gets played along Swing Gitan.
Douce Ambiance often pops up too

Coquette should be at the very top nowadays and Them there eyes was the number 1 tune played at my last two or three Samois. I almost got sick of the melody riff.

Django's Tiger and Danse Norvegienne are popular too.
J'Attendrai is another one, especially if there's a violin player... I've been pleasantly surprised to hear people sing it too!

Tchavolo Swing is hot among violinists.

There will never be another you, is a must if there's a sax around

I'll see you in my dreams... Almost everytime, everywhere

Menilmontant mostly in France.

Some Body and Soul...

Melodie Au Crepuscule, particularly among gypsies

Clair De Lune was the one I got to hear played in the most beautiful and inspired way

What is this thing called love and Limehouse Blues get their fair share if the players are advanced enough.

Donna Lee comes up a lot at high level jams.
Impressions was a surprise, we owe that one to Adrien's Selmer 607 rendition, of course.

La Gitane at the top for Waltzes... Before Bistro Fada came along. Though they are not really jam tunes.
Made in France is the only waltz I've found in a real jamming context.

Overall I played All of me the most during the past decade's jams, in C and often in G if there's a female singer.

Minor Swing has dropped considerably to the point where it's even the most avoided tune, understandably. I still like it a lot though...

To come back to the original question... I've never played or heard Impromptu at any jam... Blue Drag and Topsy are about even, exactly as Adrian said, in long jams after the more common tunes have been played.

Minor Blues is extremely popular! I would maybe rate it at #3 below All of me and Coquette.

Scoredog

Thanks for your list
Much appreciated