POST 487: EIGHT DICE CLOTH

During my brief visit to New Orleans in February 2017, I had the pleasure of coming across a young band called Eight Dice Cloth playing in Royal Street.

They were very good and gave an entertaining programme. There were seven musicians, including a violinist; and percussion was provided by a washboard.

This band was new to me, but I gather it was started in 2014 and took its name from a game that originated in Nineteenth-Century England and was quickly imported into America, where the dice game soon became known as 'Bunco'. Its popularity has waxed and waned; and in the 21st Century there have been 'Bunco World Championships' held in Las Vegas.

I took the opportunity of making a video of Eight Dice Cloth playing My Blue Heaven. May I invite you to watch it by clicking on here?

A year later I filmed them in an interesting performance of Avalon. Watch it by clicking on here.

I have since found that the band plays in the clubs and bars of New Orleans as well as in Royal Street. It has also made at least one CD. So, if you would like more information, seek them on YouTube and also click here for a link to their recordings.

And for more information about Eight Dice Cloth, including details of the personnel, CLICK HERE.

Post 160: MIDDLE EIGHT OF 'MY BLUE HEAVEN'

Sometimes you come across a standard 32-bar tune in which the 'Middle Eight' follows a slightly uncommon pattern. I have noticed this can easily flummox jazz musicians - even very good ones  occasionally.

My Blue Heaven is a case in point. If you take it in the Key of Eb, then the Middle Eight - in simple terms - is:

one bar of Ab

one bar of C7th

two bars of F minor

two bars of Bb7th
one bar of Eb/Edim
one bar of Fm7/Bb7

The progression from the Ab chord to the C7th (it's the Georgia Progression) defies the usual 'circle of fifths' and that is what presents the challenge. So you have to be careful when improvising on this kind of tune and give it some thought while practising. This is the kind of improvisation that might result.

The music for My Blue Heaven was composed by the great Walter Donaldson in 1927.

He also wrote the music for - among others - My Little Bimbo, Oh Baby, Oh Sister Ain't That Hot, 'Taint No Sin To Take Off Your Skin, That Certain Party, Yes Sir That's My Baby, At Sundown, You're Driving Me Crazy, Carolina in the Morning, I Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight, Love Me Or Leave Me, Making Whoopee, and My Baby Just Cares for Me.

What a massive contribution to our music! Maybe one of these days I shall be able to persuade a band to give a concert entirely of Donaldson compositions.

Walter Donaldson was a New Yorker. He died in 1947 at the age of only 54.