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Today's Birthdays
Oct Song Of The Month--My Blue Heaven
MikeK
Asheville, NCNew Altamira M-10, Epiphone Zephyr Regent
Written in 1927 by Walter Donaldson (George A. Whiting wrote the lyrics), this song came to fame in the movie Ziegfeld Follies and became a huge hit for Gene Austin in 1928. I love calling it on my bandstand, and the various musicians I play with usually greet it with smiles and enthusiasm. I love that it's in Eflat, not the most common key for the GJ repertoire. (Others in my arsenal include The Man I Love & Body And Soul). Here's a link to the chart my trio uses:
I love the movement on the bridge when I'm soloing over the changes. Ironically, I was familiar with it before I heard Django play it because Alan Alda's Hawkeye sings it several times in a MASH episode. Time & time again, we are reminded of the magic of how this music can come at you from many varied & interesting sorces.
Comments
Here's my favorite version of October's song of the month:
Of particular note to me are:
-the way Django tears into his first solo with a one of his famous flurries of enclosure runs.
-the final form, where Django plays the head on just the B-section, then Steph takes the final A. Classic all the way around.
Don't miss the great version by the Svend Asmussen Kvintet from 1935.
Or this one here, very short and very cool:
Posted the link here for you, @scot. Willie's first link above was blocked in the US. Not sure if both of his links were Svend, but I'll repost this one for others in the US who were blocked.
Fun tune. Been working on it today and last night. Never really learned the melody and it's rarely if ever called around here in DC but it was played often in Chicago. Now I'll call it.
Good tune in the hands of a good player!
Still long ways to go but am trying. Thanks man!
A german version, by the "Comedian Harmonists":
Great tune!
Here's the melody played slowly if helpful to someone.
and a backing track to practice:
https://youtu.be/GFcdJkEpneU
@Willie, those are great links to some very interesting versions. @littleknicky, nicely done. That should be helpful to anyone that wants to learn it.