"How am I to know?" 1929 Trumbauer Orchestra w. Lang

Lango-Django

I just heard this tune for the first time last weekend at a 78 record collectors' meetup, and found Eddie's guitar work particularly enchanting. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

On my computer this comes out perfectly in tune in the key of A major, which begs the question... what key did the Trumbauer Orchestra actually record it in?

Ab? Bb? or actually A major? There's not much jazz on it thus the key of A major may possibly been chosen by the singer, Smith Ballew?

Anyway, if anybody wants to work out some of Eddie's lovely arps--- so different from anything in gypsy jazz!--- here are the basic chords, which also really different than anything you're probably used to playing but they sure have that real 1920's "modern white guys" sound...

B9 % Dm % E7 % A6 %

B9 % Dm % E7 % Em6 F#7

F#7 % Dm % E7 % A6 Adim

B9 % Dm % E7 % E7b9 A6

Have fun!

Will

Jazzaferri

Don't forget Frankie played C melody sax so he played in concert key. Given the size of the orchestra, it's likely to have been written in a horn friendly key. 5# for tenors and I trumpets 6# for alto's if written in concert A.

I find the guitar background to be competing with the vocalist a bit too much for my liking.

woodamand

Or it could be that the recording speed itself was wonky - I have seen this happen on recordings of that era.

Lango-Django

Yes, definitely, woodamand!

While A major might have been okay for Trumbauer with his C-melody sax, as Jay mentioned, it would be just too crazy for all the other brass and saxes.