SwingDJs

Anyone ever come across a good medium tempo, non-vocal version of Mood Indigo? I'm especially interested to find out if there are any New Orleans style versions in this vein.

Sounds like a good question for Rayned - this might stump him....

It *is* titled "Mood Indigo"; I don't think it was meant to be played fast.... I have 5 versions; of the non-vocal the fastest is 106 on Stomp It Off - Jimmie Lunceford (which I don't really like).

Of the non-vocal versions I have I like the Duke Ellington version on the Ken Burns Jazz collection and the version on LCJO Live at Swing City - Wynton does a sweet solo. They are both slow.

djstarr wrote:Sounds like a good question for Rayned - this might stump him....

It *is* titled "Mood Indigo"; I don't think it was meant to be played fast.... I have 5 versions; of the non-vocal the fastest is 106 on Stomp It Off - Jimmie Lunceford (which I don't really like).

Of the non-vocal versions I have I like the Duke Ellington version on the Ken Burns Jazz collection and the version on LCJO Live at Swing City - Wynton does a sweet solo. They are both slow.

I'm pretty sure there's a few "New Mood Indigo" versions that are basically double time on the standard.. I know there's a Nina Simone, but I kinda think there's an Ellington one too.. I don't actually feel like looking tho. :)

Ryan wrote:Anyone ever come across a good medium tempo, non-vocal version of Mood Indigo? I'm especially interested to find out if there are any New Orleans style versions in this vein.

being that the song was called "Dreamy Blues" , Id image anything much faster would dramatically change it to feel like something other then Moon Indigo. certainly not Dukes peice.

That the weird thing about Duke and his music , You take one of his composistion and change it, you might as well change the title....thats extreme but ya get the point...

SirScratchAlot wrote:That the weird thing about Duke and his music , You take one of his composistion and change it, you might as well change the title....thats extreme but ya get the point...

Yeah, I was thinking about this today - wondering how Cottontail would sound at 125 bpm (yuck!) --- but there are several standards such as Honeysuckle Rose, St. Louis Blues etc. where there are great versions at all different tempos and styles.

hence the scandal with ellington's own Bethlehem recordings in the sixties, where he slowed down East St. Louis Toodle-oo and sped up Ko-Ko