Here's a sad tale. In 1932, Nettie Dorsey, the wife of Thomas A. Dorsey, died in childbirth; and two days later their new-born son died too.
In his grief, Thomas A. Dorsey composed Precious Lord, Take My Hand - a tune which remains popular with traditional jazz bands to this day.
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| Thomas Andrew Dorsey |
Thomas A. Dorsey was already well-known at the time of his wife's death. He was an established blues pianist, band-leader and composer. He had performed as 'Georgia Tom'. He had a hit record in 1928 with It's Tight Like That. His band had accompanied Ma Rainey. He founded the first black gospel music publishing company. He was in later life to be considered the Father of Black Gospel Music.
A gospel number for which he is also specially known is the 1937 composition Peace in the Valley.
But what prompts me to tell you all this is that I listened earlier today to Erika Lewis singing Rock Me on Tuba Skinny's first album - the album simply called 'Tuba Skinny' and issued in 2010. Rock Me was made famous when it was recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe in 1938; but the song was originally composed by Thomas A. Dorsey under the title Hide Me In Thy Bosom.
Rosetta sang it in the key of Bb; Tuba Skinny prefer Ab.
You can hear Rosetta's recording BY CLICKING HERE.
To hear Erika Lewis singing the song in the early days of Tuba Skinny, you should buy the album. But if you would like to see a live version, filmed as long ago as 2010, CLICK HERE. At the time, Tuba Skinny was in its infancy and still had no reed player; but you can hear a wonderful little solo chorus from Shaye Cohn at 2 minutes 20 seconds that foretells the greatness to come.
We have to thank the video-maker codenamed digitalalexa for recording this early performance.
I decided to try playing Rock Me on my keyboard and trumpet. What I then discovered is that it is a 32-bar tune (you could consider it as a 16-bar Verse with a 16-bar Chorus). Also, I found the first 16 bars have virtually the same simple chord progression as the second 16 bars. Moreover, all four sets of eight bars begin with The Magnolia Chord Progression [ I - I7 - IV - IVm ].
The Magnolia Chord progression is found at the beginning of so many of the tunes we play. Other examples are:
After My Laughter Came Tears
Rosetta sang it in the key of Bb; Tuba Skinny prefer Ab.
You can hear Rosetta's recording BY CLICKING HERE.
To hear Erika Lewis singing the song in the early days of Tuba Skinny, you should buy the album. But if you would like to see a live version, filmed as long ago as 2010, CLICK HERE. At the time, Tuba Skinny was in its infancy and still had no reed player; but you can hear a wonderful little solo chorus from Shaye Cohn at 2 minutes 20 seconds that foretells the greatness to come.
We have to thank the video-maker codenamed digitalalexa for recording this early performance.
I decided to try playing Rock Me on my keyboard and trumpet. What I then discovered is that it is a 32-bar tune (you could consider it as a 16-bar Verse with a 16-bar Chorus). Also, I found the first 16 bars have virtually the same simple chord progression as the second 16 bars. Moreover, all four sets of eight bars begin with The Magnolia Chord Progression [ I - I7 - IV - IVm ].
The Magnolia Chord progression is found at the beginning of so many of the tunes we play. Other examples are:
After My Laughter Came Tears
Mississippi River Blues
Brown Skin Mamma
Carolina Moon
Cherry Red
'Deed I Do
Does Jesus Care?
Girl of My Dreams
If I Had You
I'll See You in the Spring
I May Be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful
I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now
I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket
In the Upper Garden
I Want a Little Girl to Call My Own
I Would Do Most Anything for You
Lonesome Road
Louisiana Fairytale
Magnolia's Wedding Day
My Mother's Eyes
Old Rocking Chair
Red Sails in the Sunset
Rolling Round the World
Show Me The Way To Go Home
Stevedore Stomp [final strain]
When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano
You Were Only Passing Time With Me
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Footnote
My books Tuba Skinny and Shaye Cohn, Playing Traditional Jazz and Enjoying Traditional Jazz are all available from Amazon.
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Footnote
My books Tuba Skinny and Shaye Cohn, Playing Traditional Jazz and Enjoying Traditional Jazz are all available from Amazon.
