QRS 1752 "I'm Looking For A Bluebird (To Chase My Blues Away) - Played by Pete Wendling

[colorkitties]

Thanks.  I have the cover for the old sheet music of this framed, hanging on my wall, and always wondered what the tune sounds like...since I can't read music. I always imagined it was bluesy because of the title, but it's kind of rollicking.

[Pianosyncrazy]

Nice !!!

[Pianosyncrazy]

Ah yes ! Pete! Thanks !!

[AAErikCO]

Very welcome! Your videos are great by the way.

[aknabea]

Very Nice!

[AAErikCO]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[KawhackitaRag]

OK I just found the original sheet music (public domain) at the UCLA Archive of Popular American Sheet Music. The original tempo marking on the sheet music is:

Molto "blues"

Make of that what you will. The score (by Freddie Rich, also a piano roll artist, bandleader, and hanger-on of the Harlem pianists) is incredibly rich and detailed, and the lyrics (by Blanche Merrill, either the white vaudevillian or the black wife of Willie "The Lion" Smith), are great.

This is a great song!

[KawhackitaRag]

As hot as this roll is at this tempo, I think that more people would feel in-touch with the tune, the lyrics, and the performance, if it was noticeably slower. Listen to some classic blues recordings from the 1920s with lady singers (especially those with pianists such as James P. Johnson, Jimmy Blythe, etc. etc.) and hear how soft and slowly they play... it really draws you in to the lyrics and the tune, and you don't get the impression that this is a shallow performance at all.

[AAErikCO]

Thank you for the comments. I'm a big listener of 20's blues records and there seems to me to be a trend of "white" jazz being played a somewhat faster. IMO Pete's interpretation is perfect at 75. This just "feels" right to me. After playing through this roll I found 70 is simply too lack luster (it looses that 'shimmy' feel) which I think he wanted to create. Accompanists played soft and slow to highlight the virtuosity of the singer, but Wendling is showing off a bit here, so I let him :)

[KawhackitaRag]

I agree... please don't take down this video at this tempo... it sounds fantastic and really rocks at this tempo!

I just meant that were somebody to actually sing along with the roll, it would probably work better a bit slower, with plenty of dynamics on the part of the pianolist (although I notice you've put in some nice dynamics here... good pumping!)

[KawhackitaRag]

Very pretty melodic fill-ins as well. I have a feeling that Pete was empathizing with this song that day.

[KawhackitaRag]

Terrific roll! Thanks for the post!

I wouldn't mind getting a recut of this one.

[AAErikCO]

No problem Andrew, glad you enjoyed.

Still don't have the money to fund small recut projects, but I'll let you know if this ever happens.

[pianolasociety]

nice performance!

[AAErikCO]

Thanks, glad you liked it :)