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  1. Pop songs in jazz

    • Patrick Johns
    • 5 Dec 06, 03:57 PM

    I'm just listening to the Gordon Beck Quartet's album Experiments with Pops which features pop songs such as Norwegian Wood, Up Up and Away, Good Vibrations and Michelle.

    It got me thinking - why is it that a huge bulk of the repertoire of standards is formed from pop songs from the first half of the 20th century, but very little from after? Notable exceptions are the songs of Lennon and McCartney and some by Burt Bacharach.

    Why is this? Is it an indication that songs today are simply not as good musically as those of yesteryear? Modern classics such as Wonderwall by Oasis are great pop/rock songs but just don't translate to jazz. Does that mean they're bad songs? No... but someone once said that the sign of a truly great piece of music is if it can work in many differenct settings. The jury's out... for now, I'll just enjoy Gordon et al giving it beans on These Boots Are Made For Walking.

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  1. 1.

    I agree, we are an unsigned Pop / Jazz /swing function band and would like nothing more than to swing songs as diverse as for example, Let's stay together and Hotel California. One day we will, and I am even more convinced after reading your post than ever before. Gary

    MidnightList


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  2. 2.

    It's certainly odd...My apologies if this is out of place, but could I point to an young jazz band in Shrewsbury called Blazé whom I think sound very good...They have a few demo tracks on their blog at blazeband.blogger.com

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  3. 3.

    Not sure if I'm off topic, but Freddie Hubbard does a great "cover" of Christopher Cross' "Ride Like the Wind"...

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  4. 4.

    Look no further! My new trio album "Moving Shadows" (on 33 Jazz Label) is packed with standards AND pop songs mainly from the sixties like Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"; Bacharach & David's "Alfie" and Paul McCartney's "Yesterday". I got my inspiration from Ella who never shyed away from a pop song and recently from Paul Anka's fantastic "Rock Swings" album. You would never believe that Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit" was anything other than a big-band swinger!

    I think the idea that modern pop can't get the jazz treatment is flawed. Yes, we associate modern pop with the artist who first put it out and not so much with "standards" but that's only because when the standards came out they were released as sheet music and huge globalised marketing machines weren't giving them a face. We'll never know if "Let's Stay Together" has the longevity that "Stardust" has - but I'm here to tell you (and show you) that it can swing!

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