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From: Pat Missin
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 18:26:29
Subject: Re: Xerox machines

Steve Levine wrote about "Whammer Jammer":
>
>It is a very impressive tune, but I've heard other versions (The
>NIghthawks, Charlie Sayles), that were not note for note, but still
>sounded great.

I'd like to hear the Charlie Sayles version - is it on CD? Mike Stevens
also does an interesting bluegrassed-up version of "Whammer Jammer". I also
really enjoy Charlie McCoy's country-flavoured version of "Juke", whereas I
once saw a really well known blues band with a very good harp player do
""Juke" almost note-for-note and it bored me to tears. I say "almost
note-for-note", as they finished the Little Walter repro, then recycled the
first few bars, making the tune almost twice as long as the original (and
less than half as enjoyable). Having said all of this, I was one of only a
few people who weren't going beserk over the music...

I respect Rocket's post on this thread and I agree that if you change too
may notes, it is no longer "Juke" or whatever, but just another 12-bar
instrumental. I also see the logic behind Rocket's analogies, but as a
counter analogy, imagine someone standing up and delivering Martin Luther
King's "I have a dream..." speech, word for word. Would they be respected
for their philosophical and humanitarian insight (except by those who had
never heard MLK)? Even if they got MLK's voice and mannerisms exactly
right, they would be unlikely to be respected as anything other than a
skilled mimic. Although mimicry can be regarded as a skill in itself, it's
not exactly the one for which I would like to become famous! (Of course,
learning the speech note-for-note would be an excellent learning exercise
for someone who wanted to learn how to put together a moving speech.)

Besides, I have three different versions of "Juke" all by Little Walter
(including one take that was recorded at the same session as the well-known
version) and they are all very different. If he didn't play it the same way
twice, then I don't see why I should! 8-)

(Although, thinking about this I wonder if "Whammer Jammer" and "Juke" are
actually examples of two different kinds of tunes. Although LW seemed to
play "Juke" differently every time, I think (but I am willing to be
corrected if I am wrong) that "Whammer Jammer" is pretty much a set piece,
one that Magic Dick played pretty much the same each time he did it.
Thinking further along this line, I often play DeFord Bailey's "Davidson
Co. Blues" - and I play it pretty much the same each time (with maybe a few
minor rhythmic variations), but I think of it as more of a composition than
an improvisation.)

BTW - I also enjoy Supersax's arrangements of Parker solos and I love those
singers who take an improvised solo from a well-known recording and add
their own lyrics to it - but this is not quite the same as just recycling
someone else's solo. I'd be flattered if someone took one of my improvised
solos and arranged it for string quartet, but I'd be less pleased if
another harp player lifted my solo note-for-note and stuck it into one of
their own songs.

-- Pat.