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Thread: I've Told Ev'ry (Every) Little Star - Jerome Kern

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    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    335

    Default I've Told Ev'ry (Every) Little Star - Jerome Kern

    "I've Told Every Little Star" is a 1932 composition by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein from the musical "Music In the Air." Unfortunately, it suffers from many poor performances, particularly the awful Linda Scott 1961 hatchet job which changed both the melody and words to attract a teenage audience.

    The tune has a standard 32-bar AABA form. Many of the standard performances (Bing Crosby's, for example) use a simple set of changes in the A sections that stay close to the tonic; these are the original changes (as per the lead sheet in The Ultimate Fake Book). However, there are alternate changes in the A section which go to the iv minor in the fourth measure and these are the ones adopted by jazz artists and are incorporated in my chord chart.

    If you don't know this tune, I recommend listening to a vocal version by Diana Panton (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeYprbZDeR4), as well as instrumental versions by Sonny Rollins ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWrhMVjX0Io) and Cannonball Adderley (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lX_poIwvk8 with a transcription of his solo [with inaccurate chord changes] at http://www.cannonballjazz.com/Cannon...ar_59-0423.pdf). A group featuring Marion McPartland uses a contrapuntal arrangement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjD32njRigs) and is worth a listen as well.

    This song is a natural fit for the Jazz - Swing Two/Four style. I have complained in the past about the "two" part of the Swing Two/Four style being rhythmically dead. Therefore I arranged this song specifically to be used with the Ballad Swing style by writing in a walking bass line in the bridge of the tune. For those who haven't noticed the difference between these styles, first try this arrangement with the Two/Four style and then with the Ballad Swing style. You should immediately notice how much more lively the A sections sound with the Ballad Swing style. Thus, I end this submission with an appeal to our esteemed iRP developers to fix the Swing Two/Four style.

    I hope you enjoy this tune.

    I've Told Eve'ry Little Star (K's rev) - Jerome Kern
    Last edited by Keith88; 06-01-2016 at 06:04 PM.

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