Thursday, May 21, 2009

Swinging Dippermouth Blues

Dippermouth Blues was born just as swinging the beat came into vogue- the 1920s. Band leader Joe "King" Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band, with then-coronetist Lois Armstrong, first played the tune. It really took off when Armstrong up and moved to the Big Apple, taking the music with him and playing it with a new band led by Fletcher Henderson. The song, also known as "The Sugar Foot Stomp," was a hit recording for Henderson and has since been recorded by most popular swing bands.

This makes Dippermouth Blues a great study in the evolution of swing. King Oliver's version sounds jazzy, but the beat is a steady "1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4." Also, watch the drummer in a clip from the 1947 movie New Orleans (about the birth of jazz with Lois and Billie Holiday acting). He's got one snare drum and he's tapping the edges for rhythm; musicians correct my terms! The cymbal is only an accent and the characteristic clang-hit of the hi-hat is missing.

In 1983, The Traditional Jazz Band covered the song with a swing and brilliant solos, especially on clarinet. The New Orleans Function Jazz Band swings it even more. Theirs is far and away the favorite of my dancer's heart... as Ella says, "It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got swing)."
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