Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Caravan)

As with many of Duke Ellington's compositions the idea originated with one of his musicians. In the case of “Caravan” it was trombonist Juan Tizol. Ellington is ... > JazzStandardsSongsandInstrumentals(Caravan) Home Overview Songs History Theory Bookstore Biographies Articles About Loading Copyright2005-2022-JazzStandards.com AllRightsReserved Permission&contactinformation Home Overview Songs Biographies History Theory Search Bookstore Articles About LifeCoachingforJazzStudiesStudentsItwillmakeadifference! Caravan (1936) MoreonThisTune OriginandChartInformation GettingStarted MusicandLyricsAnalysis JazzHistoryNotes ReadingandResearch SoundtrackInformation Comments ListenandCompare Audiosamplesarebelowthevideoplayer. BennyGoodman WesMontgomery AndyBey WyntonMarsalis TheloniousMonk MoreonThisTune OriginandChartInformation GettingStarted MusicandLyricsAnalysis JazzHistoryNotes ReadingandResearch SoundtrackInformation Comments VideoPlaylist OriginandChartInformation “Whenitcametoroyalties,thesettlementwasoftenaflatfee.For‘Caravan’IrvingMillspaidJuanTizoltwenty-fivedollars.” -JW   Rank 17 Music DukeEllington JuanTizol Lyrics IrvingMills   BarneyBigardandHisJazzopatersintroduced“Caravan”ontheVarietylabelinDecember,1936.TherecordingenteredthepopchartsinJuneof1937,risingtonumberfour.Amonthlater,therecordingbyDukeEllingtonandHisOrchestraontheMasterlabel(pressedinMay,1937)founditswayontothechartsandrosetonumbertwenty. Otherrecordingsof“Caravan”tomakethepopchartsinclude: BillyEckstine(1949,withHugoWinterhalterandHisOrchestra,#27)RalphMarterie(1953,#6,millionseller)EsquireBoys(1953,#27)   Chartinformationusedbypermissionfrom JoelWhitburn'sPopMemories1890-1954   AroundthesametimethatpublisherandmanagerIrvingMillswaswritingthelyricsfor“Caravan,”hewaslaunchingtwonewrecordlabels,MasterandVariety.Averitablewho’swhoofthejazzworldattendedtheover-the-toppartyandjamsessionincelebrationofthenewlabels.MercerEllingtonandStanleyDance,authorsofDukeEllingtoninPerson:AnIntimateMemoir,reportthattheguestlistincludedBennyGoodman,CountBasie,LesterYoung,HerschelEvans,andJoJoneswhileDukeEllingtonplayedinatriowithArtieShawandChickWebb.EllaFitzgeraldsang.Thepresscoverage,asplanned,wasterrific.     MoreonIrvingMills   Ofthetwolabels,Varietywasreservedfornewtalentandexperimentalprojects.HelenOakley,thewifeofjournalistStanleyDance,wasitsA&R(artistandrepertoire)manager.ShesuggestedtoMillsthattheytrysomesmallgrouprecordingsusingmusiciansfromtheEllingtonOrchestra.Giventhego-ahead,Oakleyarrangedforanumberofsessions,oneofwhichincludedtheDecember19,1936,LosAngelesrecordingof“Caravan”byBarneyBigardandHisJazzopaters.WithBigardonclarinet,theJazzopatersconsistedofCootieWilliams(trumpet),JuanTizol(valvetrombone),HarryCarney(baritonesax),DukeEllington(piano),BillyTaylor(bass),andSonnyGreer(drums).ThoughtheJazzopatorhitprovedthefeasibilityofOakley’sidea,boththeVarietyandMasterlabelsweredefunctbeforethecloseof1937due,inpart,tostiffbusinesscompetition.     MoreonBarneyBigard   AswithmanyofDukeEllington’scompositionstheideaoriginatedwithoneofhismusicians.Inthecaseof“Caravan”itwastrombonistJuanTizol.EllingtonisquotedinStuartNicholson’sReminiscinginTempo:APortraitofDukeEllingtonassaying“...that’soneofthosethingsTizolcameupwith.See,itwasn’tintempo,hestood[andplayedit]sortofadlib.Heplayedit,[the]firsttenbars,wetookitandworkedouttherestofit.”     MoreonJuanTizol       MoreonDukeEllington   Whenitcametocreditandroyaltiesformusicians’contributions,thesettlementwasoftenaflatfee.For“Caravan”IrvingMillspaidJuanTizoltwenty-fivedollars.Whentherecordingbecameahit,however,TizolrequestedMillscuthiminontheroyalties,whichthemanagerdid. Moreinformationonthistune... JamesLincolnCollier DukeEllingtonOxfordUniversityPress,USA Hardcover:352pages (InthisbiographyofEllingtononepageisdevotedtothehistoryandmusicalanalysisofthesong.) SeetheReadingandResearchpageforthistuneforadditionalreferences. -JeremyWilson GettingStarted Thissectionsuggestsdefinitiveorotherwisesignificantrecordingsthatwillhelpjazzstudentsgetacquaintedwith “Caravan.”TheserecordingshavebeenselectedfromtheJazzHistoryand CDRecommendationssections. Theoriginalrecordingof“Caravan”(Duke’sMen:TheSmallGroups,Vol.1)isasmusicallybrilliantasitishistoricallysignificant,anditisstilltheplacetostartwhenstudyingthetune.Amoremodern,edgyarrangementofthetuneappearedonseveralrecordingsintheearly1960scourtesyoftrumpeterFreddieHubbard.TheversionhedidwithArtBlakey’sband(Caravan)wouldprovetobeparticularlyinfluential.Meanwhile,thoughitisunusualtofindarecentrecordingonanylistof“definitive”recordings,the1986recordingof“Caravan”byWyntonMarsalis(MarsalisStandardTime,Vol.1)isanotableexception,ashisgroup’sperformancehastremendouslyimpactedtheapproachtothetunebysubsequentgenerations. NoahBaerman-JazzPianistandEducator MusicandLyricsAnalysis Ellington’sarrangementof“Caravan”makesthesong.StartinginaminorkeyandperformedwithaMiddleEasternbeat,themusiccreatesanexoticatmosphere,allthewhileconjuringupsuchelementsascamels,tentsandthedesert.Forthoseimaginingahotanddustydayinthecaravantrade,IrvingMills’lyricsprovideasignificantcoursecorrection,relatingintrigueandromanceastwoloverstravelbeneaththestars.Mills’rhymingissimple,thewordsseemdashedoff,and,unlessyoucanacceptanimpliedprogressionoftime,thelinesarecontradictory:Thestarsarebrightyettheirlightisfading;itisnightyetyouare“besidemeherebeneaththeblue.”ToMills’credit,however,hisphrasesaremodestandevocative,nicelysupportingtheoverallcaravanmood. -JW Musicalanalysisof“Caravan” OriginalKey Fminor Form A-A-B-A Tonality “A”isprimarilyminor,despitethefactthatmostofitisspentonV7(orcorrespondingdiminishedsubstitution).“B”isacircleoffifthsinmajor. Movement Embellishedsustainednoteondominant,descendingchromaticallytothetonicbytheendof“A”.Section“B”endswithanupwardarpeggiationtothedominantoftheoriginalkey. Comments(assumedbackground) ThechromaticallyalterednotesinthemelodyoverV7andvii°7chordstendtogivethe“A”sectionamysterious,quasi-Orientalsound,andtheslowharmonicrhythmgivestheinexperiencedimproviseranopportunitytoworkonideasinasinglekeyoverseveralmeasures(theC7andDb°7chordbothservethesamefunction,asthelatterisidenticaltoC7(b9)withouttheroot).Theharmonicprogressionofthe“B”section,incontrast,shouldbeveryfamiliartoanyonefamiliarwith“SweetGeorgiaBrown,”asitusesa“circleoffifths”inanalmostidenticalfashion. K.J.McElrath-MusicologistforJazzStandards.com JazzHistoryNotes AlthoughgenerallyassociatedwithDukeEllington (whooverhiscareerhadmanydifferentarrangements ofthetune),“Caravan”wasapopular“mood”piece recordedbyanumberofbigbandsinthe1930’s (EdgarHayes,BunnyBerigan, BennyGoodman).Aninterestingversionfrom 1937isbytheMillsBrothers,doinganarrangement featuringtheirvocalimitationofinstruments. Bythe1950’s,thetunehadbecomeaset-upfor extendeddrumsolos(musician/composerFrankZappa onceremarked,“Iwannahear‘Caravan’withadrum solo”),andtomostpeoplethisisthewaythetune isexpectedtobeperformed. ChrisTyle-JazzMusicianandHistorian EdgarHayes EdgarHayes,1937-1939 Classics730 BunnyBeriganandHisOrchestra ICan'tGetStarted Collectables6291 BennyGoodman OntheAir Sony48836 TheMillsBrothers TheMillsBrothers,Vol.4,1937-1940 GiantsofJazz53279 ReadingandResearch Additionalinformationfor"Caravan"maybefoundin: StuartNicholson ReminiscinginTempo:APortraitofDukeEllingtonNortheasternUniversityPress Paperback:538pages (4paragraphsincludingthefollowingtypesofinformation:anecdotal.) ThomasS.Hischak TheTinPanAlleySongEncyclopediaGreenwoodPress Hardcover:552pages (1paragraphincludingthefollowingtypesofinformation:Broadwayproductions,filmproductions,historyandperformers.) JamesLincolnCollier DukeEllingtonOxfordUniversityPress,USA Hardcover:352pages (1pageincludingthefollowingtypesofinformation:historyandmusicanalysis.) SoundtrackInformation “Caravan”wasincludedinthesefilms: Alice(1990,ErrorGarner) SweetandLowdown(1999,Bunny Berigan,alsodubbedonguitarbyHowardAlden forSeanPenn) Chocolat(2000,instrumental, JohnnyDeppplayeditonguitarwithMalcolm Ross) Ocean’sEleven(2001,ArthurLyman Group) AndonBroadway: SophisticatedLadies(1981,Gregg Burge) Swing!(1999,GothamCityGates) Comments CommentPolicy Yourcommentsarewelcome,includingwhyyoulike thistune,anymusicalchallengesitpresents,oradditionalbackgroundinformation. Jazzmusicians,fans,andstudentsofallagesusethiswebsiteasaneducationalresource. Assuch,off-topic,off-color,undulynegative,andpatentlypromotionalcommentswillberemoved. Oncesubmitted,allcommentsbecomepropertyofJazzStandards.com. Byposting,yougiveJazzStandards.compermissiontorepublishorotherwisedistributeyourcommentsinanyformatorothermedium. JazzStandards.comreservestherighttoeditorremoveanycommentsatitssolediscretion. RecommendationsforThisTune ClickonanyCDformoredetailsatAmazon.com DukeEllington Duke'sMen:TheSmallGroups,Vol.1 1991Sony46995 Originalrecording1936 Thissmall-groupperformanceisEllington’sfirstversionofthetune,anditisbrilliant.ItwasactuallyissuedunderthenameofclarinetistBarneyBigardandalsofeaturesHarryCarney,CootieWilliamsandthecomposer,JuanTizol. JeanneLee AfterHours SunnySide Originalrecording1994 TheadventurousLeeoffersafaithful,moodyperformanceaccompaniedonlybythepianoofMalWaldron. WyntonMarsalis MarsalisStandardTime~Vol.1 Sony Originalrecording1986 Marsalisoffersaninfectiousversionof“Caravan”withaNewOrleansgroovethathassubsequentlybeenabsorbedbymanyothermusicianstacklingthistune. -NoahBaerman RandyWeston PortraitsofDuke 1989,PolygramFrance WestonlivedformanyyearsinAfrica,absorbingitsculture,andasaresultbringsnewinsighttoEllington’swork.HeknewandadmiredEllington,andherethepianistcelebratestheAfricanismofDuke’smusicwithJamilNasser(b),IdrisMuhammad(drumsandpercussion),andEricAsante(percussion.) AndyBey AmericanSong 2004,SavoyJazz BeywasvotedVocalistoftheYearbytheJazzJournalistsAssociationin2003.TheimmediacyofBey’svocalissetagainstanunusualrhythmicpatternon“Caravan.”PianistGeriAllen’sarrangementsthroughouttheCDmakeeverythingfresh. LeonParker AboveandBelow 1994,Sony66144 DrummerParkerlaysdownadistinctlytribalrhythmforSamNewsome’simprovisationsonsopranosax.Herecorded“Caravan”againonhis2000CD,TheSimpleLife. -SandraBurlingame ArtBlakey&theJazzMessengers Caravan 1991Orig.JazzClassics#38 Originalrecording,1962,RiversideRecords Inthishigh-energyrenditiondrummerBlakeyleadsthesextetrhythmicallywhilethehornsectionoftrumpeterFreddieHubbard,saxophonistWayneShorterandtrombonistCurtisFullerweavearoundeachotherlikekites. TheloniousMonk PlaysDukeEllington Riverside201 Originalrecording1955 Monkoffersafunkyyetominousrenditionof“Caravan”featuringabrilliantsolobybassistOscarPettiford. WesMontgomery Movin'Wes 1997,Polygram521433 Originalrecording,1964 WesMontgomeryisbackedbyalargergroupthanheusuallyperformedwith,butthearrangementworksandallowstheguitaristabrilliantsolo. -BenMaycock Copyright2005-2020- JazzStandards.com-AllRightsReserved      Permission&contact information Home| Overview | Songs| Biographies | History | Theory | Search | Bookstore | Articles | About