Valse Manouche - Django or not?

dennis · August 2014

that practice still happens today… a lot of them really don't care about the names of the tunes they're playing and a lot of them think that american jazz standards such as all of me are gipsy traditional folks songs, some of them composed by django reinhardt.

i remember being in gerwen gipsy camp (holland), where paulus schafer lives, he had a concert in the UK and he asked me to help him write the set list for other musicians because he had no idea what the names of the songs were hahaha

kevingcox · August 2014

God I hate internet arguments, but people have been getting really wound up lately. So before a gang of people jump all over me...

Questionable: open to question or dispute; doubtful or uncertain.

Musician: "What's that song called?"
Musician 2: "I am uncertain"
Musician: "Okay, let's just call it X".

So, yes, the titles are questionable and no, I'm not casting aspersions on the players nor would I ever think to.

PapsPier · August 2014

Thanks for your answers and the reference I'll have a look at this article of P. Williams

scot · August 2014

Kevin - I'm not trying to start an argument or otherwise yank your chain. I had some information about song titles that I thought might be of interest to some people here. In other words, offer one explanation for why those song titles may not agree with the ones we are familiar with. An explanation Dennis says still happens today.

Other definitions for questionable are: doubtful as regards truth or quality; not clearly honest, honorable, or wise. And the normal usage of this word in (US)English is pejorative - "That guy's work ethic is questionable", or "His work quality is questionable". Earlier in this thread, the taking or not taking credit for certain compositions had been discussed; I was not at all sure what you meant. For the record, I never assume anyone's posts here to be "questionable". But if I can add historical context or clear up something where I may have information that is not commonly known, I will usually throw my 2cents into the mix.

This business of varying song titles for the same tune might be pretty universal. The exact same thing once existed in the worlds of fiddle tunes and country blues and for the exact same reasons. Today, these titles are pretty much standardized for a variety of reasons. But 40 years ago a tune might have several different names, and be played very slightly differently, depending on where you heard it - the "folk process" at work!

Jazzaferri · August 2014

And for the same reason, why so many lead sheets have different....nay....may I say it.....quite odd chords compared to the original.

A variation on the group circle whisper a sentence in first persons ear and see that comes back to you 10 people later. As the man said never ascribe to evil intent, that which can be explained by mere incompetence. :laugh: