Song Recognition

[TromboneAl]

In choosing songs for my jazz quartet, I like to have tunes that the general public recognizes. But it's hard to know what songs people have heard.

Please listen to these four songs and note in the poll whether you recognize them. You don't have to remember the title of the song, I just would like to know whether you've heard it before and recognize the melody.

Thanks.

Song H

Song P

Song R

Song S

 

[Goonie]

Song P sounded somewhat familiar, couldn't put my finger on it, but it did sound familiar. I usually have Sirius' "Pure Jazz" or "Jazz Cafe" blasting over the patio speakers when I'm out working in the yard, or grillin' & chillin'.....so may have heard it there.

Songs H & R didn't ring a bell at all, and Song S sounded vaguely familiar, but I think that it just kind of reminded me of some other song.

I've never been very good with knowing or remembering song titles or artists, but usually remember it by the melody. Even listening to Sirius all the time, unless I actually look at the screen to see who the artist is or what the title is....I could never guess it.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

h no but i liked it. p yes but i didn't. r seems familiar, not sure if it is a memory or a reference to one. not sure if i like it or not. s not familiar but liked it the best of the rest. would have been even better if i was sipping an ameretto on the rocks but it is a little early still.

 

[ERD50]

I'm a bit of a jazz buff, not good with remembering titles sometimes, but based on these early poll results I'm really surprised at the lack of recognition of song R. It was before my time, but I think it was a minor hit (big hit for jazz) in it's day. It is a very distinct tune with the complex time signatures (which I forget now, but everything on that album had complex or less common time signatures). I think it was used as a theme for a network movie program for years>

I didn't recognize H or S, but that doesn't mean your audience wouldn't appreciate them.

BTW, very smart of you to poll like this. It's easy for someone on the 'inside' to lose perspective for what the 'customer' might be looking for.

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

I flunked, got a 25%, but I tried. Clearly I'm not your target audience...probably my loss.

 

[Meadbh]

Yes, good marketing idea Al! You could even introduce a set by saying that it was voted #1 on the ER forum!!!!

I'm not a jazz enthusiast, but I recognize R and P. If I'm not mistaken, R is the theme song of a well known musical. But I also like S, which I haven't heard before. I do think listeners like familiarity, but they also want to hear something new.

 

[figner]

Only H sounded vaguely familiar to me, but I don't listen to jazz much so I don't know if that's the "general public" thing you're looking for. I'm guessing there may also be a significant difference between different ages/generations in song recognition. Might be interesting to see a poll with just one song and an age option...

 

[Khan]

H and P recognized right away.

R and S not at all.

 

[haha]

In choosing songs for my jazz quartet, I like to have tunes that the general public recognizes. But it's hard to know what songs people have heard.

Please listen to these four songs and note in the poll whether you recognize them. You don't have to remember the title of the song, I just would like to know whether you've heard it before and recognize the melody.

Thanks.

Song H

Song P

Song R

Song S

(P) is Pennies from Heaven, (R), Blue Rondo -sounds like the Brubeck/Desmond version. I liked S but don't recognize it. IMO H is without interest, and I don't recognize it.

Ha

 

[Eagle43]

If you're going on recognition only, it should be P. I had heard H before, but couldn't recognize it or particularly like it either. Pennies from Heaven.

 

[FinallyRetired]

I recognized P and R. But whether I recognize them or not, I appreciate good combo jazz. It's harder nowadays to hear live jazz -- live anything except rock. Good luck with your combo.

 

[Khan]

h = "Have You Met Miss Jones"

My parents had that on a 33 by Frank Sinatra.

 

[ERD50]

Here's a link to an NPR discussion of 'Time Out', the Brubeck album that contains song 'R'.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet: 'Time Out' : NPR Music

They have links to the entire song and 'Take Five' (the biggest 'hit' on that album).

Also, from wiki:

Time Out (album) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Blue Rondo à la Turk" starts in 9/8 (the rhythm of the Turkish zeybek, equivalent of the Greek zeibekiko), but alternates with 4/4,

-ERD50

 

[igsoy]

I recognized all of them, but since I'm not the general public, I filled in your poll for my husband.

He only recognized Blue Rondo a la turk. He has it on his iTunes, mainly because his favorite rock band, Rush used that figure in one of their songs.

 

[mn54]

S sounds like something from Joe Sample and/ or his group, the crusaders.

 

[gettingthere]

Recognized P right away, Have heard R before, but could not name it.
Did not recognize H or S.

Liked S the best of the four. H, not so much.

 

[cantlogin]

Thanks Al. It feels great to be asked to help someone out by answering a question and knowing that regardless of the response, the answer is absolutely correct! I recognized all of the tunes too.

 

[Orchidflower]

Knew the first 3 right away. Song S isn't all that familiar, and much too slow and meloncholy; but I love the big band sound of a couple of them, anyway.
You can't go wrong with upbeat tunes, can you?

 

[HFWR]

I plead pretty much complete ignorance. I've just started collecting more jazz in the past few years.

Let's see:

Miles - Birth of the Cool
Coltrane - Best of
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire
Billy Cobham - Spectrum, Drum 'n' Voice
Jean-Luc Ponty - Enigmatic Ocean, Imaginary Voyage, Storytelling, Life Enigma, The Acatama Experience
Steely Dan - nearly everything...
Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour - Larry and Lee
Larry Carlton, Steve Lukather - Live in Osaka
Stanley Clarke and Friends
David Sanborn - Another Hand, Hearsay
Weather Report - Heavy Weather, I Sing The Body Electric
etc....

Not exactly big band and show tunes...

 

[TromboneAl]

Thanks guys, that's very useful.

Glad that so many know the Blue Rondo a la Turk (Song R) -- I heard the Brubeck Brothers Quartet play it at a concert Friday, and decided it would be good to do.

We have a dixieland jazz festival around here every year, but as expected, it's slowly dying out because the audience is dying off. The organizers are casting about, adding different kinds of music, but I think it's doomed.

 

[igsoy]

For those of you who mentioned that you enjoyed song S, it was Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson. A really great recording of that tune with horns is the 1961 album The Blues and the Abstract Truth.

 

[RonBoyd]

If you're going on recognition only, it should be P. Pennies from Heaven.

I remember it more as "Benny's from Heaven."

 

[CuppaJoe]

....

We have a dixieland jazz festival around here every year, but as expected, it's slowly dying out because the audience is dying off. The organizers are casting about, adding different kinds of music, but I think it's doomed.

Say it ain't so! Hope you are wrong. You may have a vast audience out there (like me): folks who are on the verge of pulling the plug and will be out there looking for more entertainment.

Something went wrong with QuickTime and I haven't heard your samples but was able to listen to ERD50's link to "Take Five" and I shouted out "Tijuana Taxi." My Herb Alpert records from the '60s are worn out but I've kept them for their album covers.

Thanks for livening up the board.

 

[Elderdude]

I upgraded QuickTime because of the last post. Then cut and pasted each shortcut into it just to see what you'll were talking about. It probably should have happened when I clicked on Songwhatever in Al's note but nothing happened. What do I have to turn on?

 

[omni550]

I upgraded QuickTime because of the last post. Then cut and pasted each shortcut into it just to see what you'll were talking about. It probably should have happened when I clicked on Songwhatever in Al's note but nothing happened. What do I have to turn on?

As you have Quicktime installed, all you need to do is click on each link in Al's post (above) which will open a new window in your browser and will start playing the music selection. Then come back here and click on the next link. Wash, rinse repeat.

I don't recall having made any changes to any settings in Quicktime.

omni