song for father/daughter dance

[spidergirl]

Hi,

I'm getting married in 4months and I have been looking for a great song for me and my father to dance to at the reception. He is a Jazz Lover and I thought that this would be the best place to ask such a question. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[PDEE]

Are you looking for a record?

Or a song that the Band can play?

Or perhaps you could tell us the tpye and style of Jazz your father listens to.
Something that he recognises might be appropriate.

Fast Dance or Slow dance?

The obvious one would be Horace Silvers "Song for my Father"... but it might not work if he's into Beny Goodman....

[JSngry]

I play a lot of weddings, and the current favorite is "The Way you Look Tonight", even though there's a layer of darkness running through the lyrics (the whole premise is that someday the protaganist is going to be all alone in a cold world and that this one shining moment is all that will keep him from total dispair. YIPPEE!!!!).

But who pays attention to that kind of stuff anyway? It only gets dark if you really think about it that way, and none of that goes on at weddings (not good ones, anyway). It's a great song, well known (the Sinatra version is a carved-in-stone classic), and most any decent jazz musician knows it well.

Now, if you can just get them to play it at a DANCE Tempo... ;)

[JSngry]

Oh yeah - congratulations on your upcoming nuptuals, and all the best!

[PDEE]

I don't visit the Record Label sites too much anymore.. the BB's and Jazzmatazz generally keep me up to date.

Insomnia and boredom got me wandering around and I saw this on the verve site.


"Headed for the Altar? Check Out
The Jazz Wedding Album: First Dances
The moment when a bride and groom take to the dance floor after pledging their eternal love is precious and unforgettable. There's no reason it can't also be mellow and swinging. Included on the album are eleven timeless love songs, interpreted by such giants of vocal jazz as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong.

Every one of these performances is ideal for that romantic first wedding dance, and every one is guaranteed to get any couple's new life off to a blissfully hip start. "

[PsychedelicFuzz]

I play a lot of weddings, and the current favorite is "The Way you Look Tonight", even though there's a layer of darkness running through the lyrics (the whole premise is that someday the protaganist is going to be all alone in a cold world and that this one shining moment is all that will keep him from total dispair. YIPPEE!!!!).

But who pays attention to that kind of stuff anyway? It only gets dark if you really think about it that way, and none of that goes on at weddings (not good ones, anyway). It's a great song, well known (the Sinatra version is a carved-in-stone classic), and most any decent jazz musician knows it well.

Now, if you can just get them to play it at a DANCE Tempo... ;)

At least it's not as bad as wanting "Every Breath You Take" played at a wedding.

[Al Andalous]

At least it's not as bad as wanting "Every Breath You Take" played at a wedding.

Yes, creepy lyrics.

[James]

spidergirl ---- I believe that I have the supreme suggestion, but it will only work under two conditions:

1) That your jazz-loving father enjoys *either* Johnny Hartman or Tony Bennett. [Find out which of the two he prefers]

2) If your pops "wears his feelings on his sleeve" he doesn't mind falling apart in front of a room full of friends/family!

Jazz writer Gene Lees wrote *incredibly* poignant lyrics to the Bill Evans composition "Waltz for Debby" which Bill wrote for his daughter. It's all about a Dad watching his daughter grow up and letting go of her ---- I get choked up every time I hear the tune even though I don't have a daughter!

The song (with lyrics, that is) can be found on the following Bennett recordings: "Forty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett" [4 disc box]
"Who Can I Turn To?", "The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album", and "The Complete Fantasy Recordings of Bill Evans." [large box set]

Johnny's versions can be found on "The Voice That Is" and "Priceless Jazz Collection."

I can't remember Johnny's version, but I like the Tony Bennett version that I've heard on my Evans box set. Vocals comprise roughly three minutes of the four minute tune, with a one minute piano solo by Evans. I checked half.com and noticed that many of the discs I referred to are currently available there.

Good luck, and congrats, whatever music you decide on!!! :cheers

[JSngry]

At least it's not as bad as wanting "Every Breath You Take" played at a wedding.

Believe it or not, I once plaed a wedding where the bride and groom selected "Lay Lady Lay" as their first dance.

[PDEE]

Believe it or not, I once plaed a wedding where the bride and groom selected "Lay Lady Lay" as their first dance.


Virgin Brides are hard to find these days..........

Sorry SpiderG.. but actually I doubt that you are still hanging around here

[tkeables]

I'm assuming a slow-to-mid tempo dance:

Fly Me to the Moon
The Way You Look Tonight
The Very Thought of You
Waltz for Debbie
Never Let Me Go
What's New?

[Saundra Hummer]

I like teakebles choices, and then I like:
They Can't Take That Away From Me: Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong,
Miles Davis: Somewhere over the Rainbow
Star Eyes:Carman McRay

There are a lot more beutiful songs out there, ones that other people will remember better than me.

Records or live? That will be the key. With records there are so many songs to go with, instramental or vocal, it could be a hard choice.

[spidergirl]

Thank you all sooooo much for the great Ideas!!!!! I really appreciate all the suggestions.

[spidergirl]

I have one more question to add.....where can I find the miles davis over the rainbow? I can't seem to weed thru all of the websites that come up when I search online. Any help will be great! thanks again so much!

[Saundra Hummer]

Hi SG, I have been looking for you, but have hit the wall so far, but have found some alternatives for you with Miles.

?There is "The Essential Miles", and it has some great songs on it, and it's for sale at Amazon.com. No Over the Rainbow on this one, but there is My Funny Valenting and some others, I'll do up a little list for you.

I did find an over the Rainbow by Chet Baker, but it was his faster version done in Italy, or they say it is jazzed up, not a slower ballad. I know a lot of people prefer Chets playing, but this version by him may not be what you are looking for. It is on the album, "Chet is Back", and it features Italian musicians. I like a lot of the songs that Miles has on his albums for a wedding besides Over the Rainbow, as I just can't find it, and if you can't find it miles has a lot of songs that would work. Star Eyes is a good one by him as well, a favorite song of mine, and I really do like Carmen McRays version of that song too.

Miles just picked some really great songs to play, that alone was part of his talent, he had a good ear for what would transfer into jazz. That, and he put together some incredibly talented people and as different & as difficult as Miles was, it seemed to work. How, I'll never know.

I'll go back and type up the list for you, and I'll keep looking.

[Saundra Hummer]

Hi, I'm just going to give you the info on the record and you can look it up, as it has a long song list, but Someday My Prince Will Come is a good one, as is My Funny Valentine, Time After Time,

" The Essential Miles Davis,
Amazon.com $24.98
24 hour (usaually) shipping.
Sony

I would sure check into Chet Baker's Somewhere Over the Rainbow, instramental, trying to find his slower version. He sings on some of his albums, but that is another thing entirely, as a lot of people are turned off by his singing, as it's not enjoyed by everyone, that's for sure.

[Saundra Hummer]

It's been said by everyone that Miles never recorded Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and everyone insisted he didn't, but on another thread here on AAJ, Mikhos or MIkos (Something like that), posted a picture and link to a site which was selling the album, telling of it. I knew he had as I had heard him play it and there was a big crazy scene at the Lighthouse over it and his saying Chet had stolen his charts, there was a spy in his band, him demanding to know who it was, and so forth, but he did, after all, record this song. I believe that the fact that Chet beat him to it that he was so upset it might have or probably did sit on the shelf for a while or some such thing as he was so upset over it. It was a favorite with him and to have Chet release it just before his release date sent Miles off. I had seen him angry before, but never like that.

[EdByrne]

How about "Song For My Father," by Horace Silver? Very funky, great Joe Henderson solo, strong groove.

[eronel]

....nice sentiment for a parent's dance tune, I think...

[ginalyn]

Post deleted -- suspicious link

[tpt1]

I wonder how spidergirl and hubby are getting on nearly four years later... and I wonder what song she danced to with her father... "Over the Rainbow"?



ginalyn's post really came out of the blue, don't you think? Interesting first post. :confused2 I won't click on that link even though it looks like a legit Apple address.

[CoyotePalace]

I like that...a complete and utterly perfect left field hit! Dada is alive and well and lurking on the Net!

[lone_wolf]

ginalyn is probably using webbot software to find forum threads with the word "dance" in the the title and spam them all with the same post.