Top 50

Jazzaferri

After seeing a number of posts on the topic of basic repertoire and having had the question asked a number of times is there any appetite for creating a need to know 50 of Gypsy Jazz.

Tastes change over time so it will likely be snapshot of how we think/feel about it for 2011.

If people will put down their top 10-15 songs/tunes that they think are the most important in the genre I will collate the list. Unless people feel strongly otherwise I don't see a need to turn it into a rating game (this is the number 1 GJ song etc). Personally I haven't the wisdom to rate or make such judgments, I have a hard enough time with coming up with lists. Perhaps if this starts to really gain momentum our moderator will make this a sticky for a while or do whatever magic to keep it near the top until done. Don't worry if you duplicate. come to think of it if there are duplicates I will list the number of times the song got listed.

Anyway here's my list to start things off.

Blues Clair (Gypsy with a song)
Swing 42
Tears
Nuages
Rose Room
Hungaria
Swing Gitan
For Sephora
"Sweet Sue
Coquette
After You've Gone
Bosssa Dorado
Les Yeux Noirs
Minor Swing
Troublant Bolero

Jim Kaznosky

That covers a lot of ground there.

Daphne
Dinette
Menilmontant
Belleville
Djangology
Manoir de mes Reves

Maybe a waltz?

Dylanlawless1

I'd like to just comment on this to try and get more people to "vote"
I dont feel i have the experience to contribute yet but i like the idea of having a checklist of sort, of songs to know straight off my head. Instead f just learning whatever comes next, and then half forgetting the changes until play it again.

crookedpinky

My own would be

Douce Ambiance
Nuages
Danse Norvegienne
Sweet Chorus
I'll See You In My Dreams
Chez Jacquet
Anouman
All of Me
Mt St Genevieve
Minor Swing
Djangos Castle

Alan

Jazzaferri

Thanks for the replies so far. keep em coming guys new or not it is all good

Steveareno

Lulu Swing
Mire Pral
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Coquette
Fly Me To The Moon
The Lady Is A Tramp
J'Attandre
Satin Doll
Take the A Train
More (the theme from Mondo Cane)

Shawn

A few I'm thinking of (but not necessarily one's that I would take the time to learn myself, except a few):

Artillerie Lourde
Swing Valse
Appel Indirect
Choti
Minch Valse
Nuits de Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Ultrafox
Rhythm Futur
Stompin' at Decca
Deccaphonie
I Cover the Waterfront
Echoes of France
Echoes of Spain
Improvisation (#'s 1,2, and 4)
Charleston
I'm Confessin' (that I love you)
Undecided
Tiger Rag
My Melancholy Baby
Swing Guitar
The World is Waiting for the Sunrise

etc.

Jazzaferri

Hey NOW we aRE STARTIN TO COOK ....GREAT JOB

B25Gib

I definitely agree with suggestions of tunes with a Major Key, such as Daphne, Lulu Swing, and I'm Confession. Two others I can recommend in a major key are Avalon and J' attendrai. A few other must play tunes in a minor key incude Blue Drag, Aniversary song, Latcho Drom and Manha de Carnival (black orpheius). Listeners also respond to Si Tu Savais and I Surrender Dear.

TimmyHawken

If we're talking "most important to the genre," then I would have to put Minor Swing and Nuages as unarguably number one and two.

I personally have grown pretty tired of Minor Swing, but it's importance to genre is second to none. It's THE tune that drew me in. It's called the gypsy anthem and it was co-written by the man himself. Nuages, on the other hand, is not nearly as accessible for beginning guitar players with it's plethora of chords and odd structure, but it's Django's breakout song--the one that really made him and in that way is very important to the genre. Beyond those, I think a lot of it comes down to personal taste.

It's difficult for me to decide how important or high on the list to place the gypsy bossas (Bossa Dorado, For Sephora, Elena's Bossa, etc) To me, it's a love-hate relationship. They're so much fun and easy to jam on, big crowd pleasers and they are really accessible to people who aren't very familiar with gypsy jazz, but there's also something cheap about them. I'm having trouble elaborating on that thought, but I'll bet some of you feel the same way.

Similarly, waltzes are hard to throw on the list for me too. I love gyspy waltzes as much as anyone, but for the most part they are not jamming songs for beginners. They are--for me at least--not improvised at all, kind of set pieces to be played almost the same way every time. That kind of goes against the improvised nature that is a pillar of gypsy jazz. And--as far as I know--Django never recorded one.

So with all that said, I'll probably keep it old school and list the ones that I remember as my "gateway" gypsy jazz songs. here's my list:

Minor Swing
Nuages
I'll see you in my dreams (this solo was the second reason I decided I wanted to be Django)
Les Yeux Noir
Charleston
I've had my moments
The Sheik of Araby
After you've gone
Mabel
Honeysuckle Rose
Hungaria
Tears
Troublant Bolero
Manior de mes reves
Anouman
Clair de lune
Danse Norvegienne
J'attendrai
Coquette
Artillerie Lourde
Rhythm Futur
Sweet Chorus
Bei Dir War Es Immer So Schon
Dinette

And so many more...

fesslepirate

just to add some others songs (sorry for the song in French but I don't know their translation) :

songe d'automne
how high the moon/ ornithologie
djangologie
webster (I love this one)
mélodie au crépuscule
what kind of friend
place du tertre
I love you
In a sentimental mood
It had to be you
I can't give you anything but love

That what I use to play in France; you can continue your suggestion of song