Yes there
Ja-Da or Ja-Da (Ja Da, Ja Da, Jing, Jing, Jing!) Was an early jazz title composed by Bob Carleton in 1918 (the name is also referred to as Bob Carlton by some publishers). The spelling of the title varied over time; on some cover versions it is Jada . The piece is considered a jazz standard .
History of the song
Carlton composed the piece while playing piano in clubs in Illinois . It was first known in a version sung by Cliff Edwards . Ja-Da's sheet music was first published in 1918 by Leo Feist in New York City .
In his standard work American Popular Songs , Alec Wilder goes into the simplicity of the piece and writes:
“... It is amazing that such a vain melody as Ja-Da could burn itself into the public consciousness. Obviously the melody is extremely simple and the text almost completely empty, although the success is perhaps explained by the text: "A funny little song that entertains me / that comforts me and that I like so much." It's a cute song, it's innocent, and it's "comforting". And, how magical, the only other statement that the text can be carried away with is: "Yes-Da, O Yes-Da, Yes-Da, Yes-Da, Jing, Jing, Jing." "
In addition to a piano role by Cliff Hess (Vocalstyle Company, # 11302), several early recordings of the song are known by the Original New Orleans Jazz Band (1918 and 1919), by Wilbur Sweetman / Arthur Fields (1919), by James Reese Europe (1919) and by the British Savoy Quintet (1919). In 1923 Fred Ross recorded the title in Berlin. In the thirties the piece was picked up again: Tommy Dorsey and Dick Stabile went to the record studio for Ja-Da in 1936 . In 1938 there was a recording by Tommy Ladnier and Sidney Bechet . Twenty years later he saw his resurrection in two feature films in 1939, in Babes in Arms with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland (in a minstrel show scene) and in Rose of Washington Square with Alice Faye . In the mid-1940s, recordings by Bunk Johnson and Don Ewell (1945), Frank Sinatra & Peggy Lee (1947), Muggsy Spanier (1947), the Big Chief Jazzband ( His Master's Voice AL 3401, 1954) and Ted Heath Orchestra (1958) followed ). Also, Al Hirt , Oscar Peterson , Louis Armstrong and Al Jarreau took up the song. Tom Lord recorded 317 recordings.
Sonny Rollins' jazz standard Doxy (1954) is based on the harmonies of this song.
Web links
- Bob Carleton at Discogs (English)
- Information and text on folder
Individual evidence
- ↑ Entry at jazzstandards.com
- ^ Alec Wilder: American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950, Oxford University Press, New York 1972, ISBN 0-19-501445-6 there on page 26: "It fascinates me that such a trifling tune could have settled into the public consciousness as Ja-Da has. Of course it's bone simple, and the lyric says almost nothing, except perhaps the explanation of its success lies in the lyric itself. "That's a funny little bit of melody — it's soothing and appealing to me. "It's cute, it's innocent, and it's" soothing. "And, wonderfully enough, the only other statement the lyric makes is" Ja-Da, O Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Jing, Jing, Jing "."
- ↑ Tom Lord: The Jazz Discography (online, August 25, 2013)
- ^ Charles Fox, Albert McCarthy: Jazz on record: a critical guide to the first 50 years, 1917-1967 . Hanover Books, 1960, p. 62.