Mercer Ellington has stated that Juan Tizol conceived the melody to "Caravan" in 1936 as a result of his days studying music in Puerto Rico, where they couldn't afford much sheet music so the teacher would turn the music upside down after they had learned to play it right-side up. This "inversion" technique led to a modal sound throughout Tizol's work - wikipedia entry for "modal jazz"
In concert with the Broonzy biography Discussion, here are two Big Bill songs I threw down on my I-phone at the spur of the moment, hence the missing verses
Willy Mae art by Romare Bearden
Just a Dream art by Henri Rousseau (sleeping Gypsy)
Logged
My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music. Vladimir Nabokov (1899 - 1977)
I especially like that "Willie Mae", Phil, and very much admire the way your singing calls all the shots in terms of your phrasing. That is really cool. All best, Johnm
Really enjoyed both songs, mightily impressed by the sound quality you get from an (apparently) simple set up - but of course the playing and singing had to be of good quality first to achieve this, and it was! Thanks for posting them!