Crazy Rhythm

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Crazy Rhythm is a pop song written by Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn (music) and Irving Caesar (text) and published in 1928. The song became a popular jazz standard from the 1930s .

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Ben Bernie, 1932

Caesar, Meyer and Kahn wrote the musical comedy Here's Howe , which premiered at New York's Broadhurst Theater in May 1928. The song, written in G major in the form AABA ' , was featured in the piece by Ben Bernie , Peggy Chamberlain and June O'Dea . At the end of the year the song was also used in the musical Luckee Girl . The riff- like refrain moves around the notes of A major , G major and F sharp major ; "The catchy lyrics mourn the effect of its hot rhythm in a comical way ":

What's the use of prohibition ?
You produce the same condition
Crazy rhythm, I've gone crazy too.

Caesar's text prophetically anticipates the imminent crash of Wall Street in 1929:

I feel like the Emperor Nero when Rome was a very hot town.
Father Knickerbocker, forgive me, I play while your city burns down.

Although the show was only moderately successful, the song Crazy Rhythm soon became well-known in the United States, popularized by the recordings of Roger Wolfe Kahn (Victor, with Franklyn Baur, vocals) and Ben Bernie and His Roosevelt Orchestra. (Brunswick) "The infectious rhythmic patterns and consistent harmonies went well with jazz improvisation, mostly in upbeat tempo."

First recordings and later cover versions

Musicians who covered the song from April 1928 included Miff Mole (OKeh), Bill Haid and His Cubs (Broadway), Lou Gold & His Orchestra (Bamar), Johnny Marvin (Victor), Sammy Stewart (Vocalion), in London Fred Elizalde (Brunswick) and Ray Starita (Columbia), in Berlin and in Paris Lud Gluskin . Carroll Gibbons and His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra (with Whispering Jack Smith , vocals) and Cliff Jackson also recorded the song.

Django Reinhardt in the New York jazz club Aquarium, late October 1946.

From the 1930s, the swing bands of Woody Herman , Harry James , Stan Kenton , Lionel Hampton , Benny Carter and Benny Goodman also recorded the song. In 1935 Alix Combelle played him with the Quintette du Hot Club de France ; two years later Django Reinhardt at his Paris session with Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter.

Crazy Rhythm experienced a comeback in 1950 with the success of the film Tea for Two with Doris Day , Gordon MacRae and Gene Nelson . The latter sang it in a duet with Patrice Wymore . In the following years the song was u. a. Covered by vocalists such as Mark Murphy , Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra , also by Bud Shank , Barney Kessel , Sidney Bechet , the Dave Brubeck Quartet , Rob McConnell , Oscar Pettiford , Miles Davis , Red Garland , Erroll Garner , Stuff Smith , Jay McShann / Ralph Sutton , Chico Hamilton and Art Tatum . The discographer Tom Lord lists a total of 357 (as of 2015) cover versions in the field of jazz . The song was used u. a. also in several films; Dan Dailey sang Crazy Rhythm in You Were Meant for Me (1948).

Notes and individual references

  1. ↑ Meyer wrote the music for If You Knew Susie and Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie and was co-author of California Here I Come .
  2. ^ A b c d Marvin E. Paymer, Don E. Post: Sentimental Journey: Intimate Portraits of America's Great Popular Songs . 1999, p. 128
  3. ↑ a b c d e information at Jazz standards.com
  4. ↑ Singing by Dave Bernie, Ray Covert, Maxwell Covert
  5. ↑ a b c Tom Lord: Jazz discography (online)