| Picture this: Our band starts out w just Herbert at the piano. He's in partial silhouette -- maybe just a glimmer of light from the side. He plays the keys of this old spiritual -- and maybe there's even a few boos from the crowd ... The rest of the band is in silhouette during this piano intro -- and frozen as statues. As the music picks up and each instrument kicks in -- the light shines brighter on them dissipating the silhouettes. So by the time the music is really driving, the band is in full light and swinging out. Sweat flinging -- the whole nine yards. I keep picturing red lighting for some reason. The OTHER pic in my head is that Herbert is solo on stage to do that intro, then, one by one, the band joins him from the wings. As the band builds, the music builds and the lights become brighter. We would have lighting, choreography/band and music all building up to this great swingy crescendo. |
| JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE Public domain. This is an old spiritual that became a jazz staple. 2 samples here. I like the structure of the first one (starts out w solo piano and ends w solo piano), but I'm not crazy about the arrangement. Love the arrangement of this 2nd sample -- but am still wild about the structure of the first sample. Here's why ... |
| SAMPLE 1 Just A Closer Walk with Thee |
| SAMPLE 2 Just a Closer Walk with Thee |
| This is just a sample of some of the vocal stuff the band might shout out to each other during a solo. (The song here is Big Butter and Egg Man) |
| SAMPLE 3 Big Butter and Egg Man (excerpt) |
| SAMPLE 4 Joltin' Joe DiMaggio |
You laugh -- but this is an inspiration for some band choreography and their audience involvement. When you hear the band do the baseball dialogue, you have to picture Al using his clarinet as a baseball bat, and Teddy (or some other band cat) throwing a fake pitch. |
| SAMPLE 5 Jungle Blues |
This is for the later part of the script when the band is a little more grown up and a little more insightful. Long sample (6:52) Has 3 sections. When you get to approx 2:30 in the number you'll hear a change in the arrangement that showcases trumpet solos and technique. When you get to 5:00 in, the music is a wild infusion of brass and everything else. It's a much more mature sound for this usual happy-go-lucky party band. Maybe inspiration for Chick and Jack's duet after their friendship has spiraled downward. "Creek Blues" and "Boy in the Boat" would also be good. I also like parts of this for Jack and Doreen's dalliance bc it's pretty hot and sophisticated. Just ideas for incidentals. |
NOTES:
Anything before 1922 is public
domain (in the US).
Teddy would have been inspired
by 1920s Jazz, Ragtime and Dixie.
Chick, Jack and the boys would
love Cab (their King-rapper of the
1930s) and Louis Armstrong. They
would secretly be jealous of
trumpet greats Bix Beiderbecke
and Harry James.
Daisy and Dinah would love Glenn
Miller and anything that screamed
dance, romance and starry nights
(Moonlight Serenade type of stuff).
Anything before 1922 is public
domain (in the US).
Teddy would have been inspired
by 1920s Jazz, Ragtime and Dixie.
Chick, Jack and the boys would
love Cab (their King-rapper of the
1930s) and Louis Armstrong. They
would secretly be jealous of
trumpet greats Bix Beiderbecke
and Harry James.
Daisy and Dinah would love Glenn
Miller and anything that screamed
dance, romance and starry nights
(Moonlight Serenade type of stuff).
| OTHER INSPIRATIONS: These are snippets of commercials, songs and broadcasts from the 1930s. |
| This is some hot trumpet stuff -- bits and pieces for Chick stealing the limelight during Montage?? Check out 3:40 in. |
| SAMPLE 6 Smokehouse Blues |
