Post 495: THE SUN LANE LTD NEW ORLEANS BAND

The Sun Lane Ltd. New Orleans Jazz Band comprises seven pretty old boys based in Aaachen, Germany. Maybe you already know this band well. But for me they are a recent discovery - the result of a recommendation by one of my readers in Australia.

I have never seen the band in performance but there are good examples of their work on YouTube. I like them. The way they arrange their tunes is pretty much the same as in 95% of the bands operating all over Europe, Australasia and America - straightforward statements of the themes, followed by solo choruses until the out-chorus. But what I like particularly is the way they play tastefully and unpretentiously, with real delicacy and restraint (even in the rhythm section). The teamwork is good. After many years of working together, they have a very 'tight' sound. These chaps really listen to each other.

From its website, I learn this is a busy band, with plenty of bookings in Cologne. Also, surprisingly, The Sun Lane Ltd. New Orleans Jazz Band was founded as long ago as 1977, at The University of Aachen. Over the years, they have played at many festivals throughout Europe; and the band has been to New Orleans more than once - giving concerts there. Possibly the greatest moment came when they were booked to play the evening performance at Preservation Hall. That was on 30 April, 2002.

Not surprisingly, the band has built up a large repertoire and has made several CDs. You can buy them online.

In this video, watch them playing Bugle Boy March: CLICK HERE. Note the exemplary drumming.

Or try My Little Girl: CLICK HERE.

And here is Postman's Lament: CLICK HERE.

There are other videos of the band on YouTube if you would care to hear more.

As ever, we have to be grateful to the video-makers who bring such fine things to our computer screens. In this case: thank you, Uli van Royen.

Post 193: 'BUGLE BOY MARCH'

Several tunes played by traditional jazz bands started life as Marches, composed for brass bands or military bands or light orchestras.

Bugle Boy March is one of those tunes with an introduction and three sections (including a key change for the third). Many bands have it in their repertoire. This is not surprising because it has good melodies, an easy chord structure and a final theme on which it is easy to improvise.

Here's how it sounds to me. But if you want a really tidy version, go to the one prepared by the great and generous Lasse Collin:
CLICK HERE.
As you can see, I have entered mine in one of my mini-filofaxes. This is how I hear and play it:

For my convenience (being a Bb instrument player), I have put it in the key of G, modulating to C at Section C.

So in fact its Concert Key is F, modulating in to Bb.

The final theme (C) is a straightforward 32 bars (16 + 16) and easy to present in various ways, with multifarious decorations.

The march was composed in 1907 by Francis A. Myers (1875 - 1960). Myers played clarinet for four years in the band of John Philip Sousa before going on to become a formidable band-leader, composer and music tutor.

Band-leaders like to tell their audiences the story (probably true) of how this tune got its name - Bugle Boy March.

Myers himself entitled it The American Soldier. But in the early days of rival jazz bands - particularly in New Orleans - when musicians discovered a good new tune such as this, they would play and learn it from the sheet music and then cut the title off the top of the music with scissors and give the tune another name. This was intended to make it hard for other bands to get hold of it!

So the name Bugle Boy March stuck; and is still preferred by jazzers.