Music For The 4th July - Independence Day

Inspired by Paul Whiteman’s ability never to miss out on the chance of making a buck from American music we thought that for this year’s Independence Day we’d celebrate his album America the Beautiful (currently ranked 1,348,772nd on Amazon  (I’m not taking the mickey as he’s 14,484,263 rankings ahead of my album).  Below we list a half a dozen tracks from the album – an utterly non-jazz jazz blog for a change.

Paul Whiteman Concert at London's Cadogan Hall 

For the EFG London Jazz Festival 

We thought it might be a subtle way to remind you of our upcoming concert at Cadogan Hall on November 22nd.   The programme won’t include any of the patriotic songs listed below but it will feature delights such as Guy Barker in the role of jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke,  Nick Dawson playing Rhapsody in Blue, Keith Nichols, veteran Whiteman expert waving the big stick and a huge assortment of some of the finest vintage jazz specialists to be found anywhere..

Rhapsody In Blue - Paul Whiteman & George Gershwin

1. God Bless America:  

Now, for sophisticated and somewhat cynical British tastes the sentiments expressed here by Irving Berlin might be just on the wrong side of mawkish but don’t forget that as a kid (then called Israel Baline)  his family were caught up in a pogrom when Cossacks were quite keen on finishing off the whole lot of them. They failed but the Balines didn’t stick around for long after that and shortly after the 5 year old Irving had his first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and was smitten for life.

2. America The Beautiful:  

Thirty years ago I bought an album of the cornetist Ruby Braff duetting with Dick Hyman on an antique Wurlitzer cinema organ.  The title track “America The Beautiful” still, for me, is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.

America The Beautiful

3. There’s A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere: 

You’re probably aware that there’s a large army of conspiracy theorists who believe the moon landings didn’t take place.  The flag waving in the breeze on the moon is one fact they cite to prove their case.  However….. no, there isn't any wind on the Moon - but there is momentum and intertia. The fabric of the flag was moved around while being set in position, and naturally waved as it was being set up. It also has a pole along the top to keep it in position - otherwise it would hang straight down.

There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere

4. Hail To The Chief:

Every time the President gets out of his helicopter or AirForce One the band strikes up with this jolly ditty.  What a great gig – grab the tuba get down to the White House lawn -  2 minutes of “Hail To The Chief”  then you’re done.  That’s got to be worth getting dressed up for, surely.   I wonder what gig fee Barak pays?   

President Obama - Sweet Home Chicago

By the way, he’s got a great voice hasn’t he? – he sings one line of Sweet Home Chicago at a White House gig and he’s fab - I want to book him at Boisdale when he quits next year.

Hail To The Chief

5. Battle Hymn Of The Republic: 

Well the version we sang at school went something like this (this is the American version – we adapted it for English tastes but I can’t remember all the words – I think our version was a lot filthier). 

Glory Glory Hallelujah

Teacher hit me with a ruler

The ruler broke in half

And the whole class laughed

And she never done it again.

Battle Hymn Of The Republic

6. Battle Cry Of Freedom:

7. For The Love Of America:

8. Yankee Doodle:  

    Yankee Doodle went to town

    Riding on a pony;

    He stuck a feather in his hat,

    And called it macaroni

What the hell is that all about?  Well……..

The Macaroni wig was an extreme fashion in the 1770s and became contemporary slang for foppishness.  The Macaronis were young English men who adopted feminine mannerisms and highly extravagant attire, and were deemed effeminate. They were members of the Macaroni Club in London at the height of the fashion for dandyism, so called because they wore striped silks upon their return from the Grand Tour - and a feather in their hats. They also wore two fob watches: "one to tell what time it was and the other to tell what time it was not" ran their joking explanation.

So now you know.

Because My Baby Don't Mean Maybe Now 

Keith Nichols directs the music of Paul Whiteman

Cadogan Hall November 22nd, 3pm and 7pm as part of the London Jazz Festival 2015. www.cadoganhall.com • 020 7730 4500 • www.jazzrep.co.uk