Alexander's Ragtime Band

" Alexander 's Ragtime Band " is a composition by Irving Berlin. The song was released in 1911 and was soon the largest ever commercial success of "Tin Pan Alley ".

• 4.1 Notes and references

Structure of the song

The main part of the song begins with a four -note motif that was repeated (Come on and hear, come on and hear ) and a response; the beats nine to twelve consist of a known signal horn and a motif from the then-popular hit " Swanee River". These musical quotations are also mirrored in the lyrics of the song. The song was played later also become a jazz standard, but at a faster pace.

Relation to Ragtime

" Alexander 's Ragtime Band " was one of the first publications of the young songwriter Irving Berlin and his first big hit in 1911. Spite of the title of the song has little relationship to ragtime. After the huge success of Scott Joplin's " Maple Leaf Rag " in 1899 Joseph E. Howard had once accepted as the first white songwriter, the new rhythms in the song " Hello, Ma Baby". A little later Hughie Camon wrote the ragtime titled " Bill Bailey, Will not You Please Come Home." Gradually Berlin had taken by these influences ragtime ideas and then wrote the title like " Play Some Rag Time " in 1910, " Stop That Rag " or " Yiddle on Your Fiddle ".

" Alexander 's Ragtime Band " is therefore only an approximation to a musical fashion. Nevertheless, the title was his references in the text for the then emerging in the music business African American artists quickly became popular: "The title promised a Rag, agreed the pace and the lyrics came before the buzz word several times. Since you could not be wrong after all. "

Reception

In 1912, the song was also a big hit in the major European cities. The song has been interpreted by many artists of the American jazz and entertainment genres, as Al Jolson, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, Liberace, Ella Fitzgerald, Liza Minnelli and Ray Charles. Benny Goodman replaced in 1936 already the vocal chorus by a clarinet solo.

The song scored more than five decades of time chart successes. After Newsweek magazine four different versions came alone in 1991 to number 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the U.S. charts. Bessie Smith's version reached the Top 20 in 1927, Louis Armstrong, the Top 20 with their established with the big band version in 1937. A duet of Bing Crosby and Connee Boswell finally reached number 1 in 1938. Johnny Mercer had success in 1945 with a swing version. Bing Crosby took in 1947 again a duet version with Al Jolson and reached the Top 20 Nellie Lutcher followed in 1948 with the song in the rhythm-and - blues charts, Bob Wills was achieved in the same period in the Country - and-western charts. Ella Fitzgerald chose the song for their 1958 Irving Berlin Songbook ( Verve Records); shortly before he was picked up by Sarah Vaughan with Billy Eckstine. 1959 brought him out on his album Ray Charles The Genius of Ray Charles. In jazz, also Charlie Byrd, Alix Combelle, King Curtis, Glenn Miller, Don Redman, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and finally the Shelly Manne, Ray Brown Monty Alexander Trio (1980 ) excelled with interpretations. The Biermösl Blosn used the composition of their number " Since Russ".

The piece now has a rightful place in the repertoire of Dixieland bands, as a boogie-woogie number and as witty and nostalgic addition.

Trivia

The song was on the decks of the RMS Titanic played by the ship's band when the ship sank on 15 April 1912.

In 1938, the film Alexander's Ragtime Band appeared, which, however, has little to do with the song.