i’m comin’ virginia

I’m currently really loving the song I’m Coming Virginia, penned by Donald Heywood and Marion Cook, recorded by a whole range of people, from Django Reinhardt to Fletcher Henderson.
I’m still loving the Maxine Sullivan version from this album (you can listen to bits of the song here). I think it’s a minor key thing. But Sullivan’s version is really just the beginning.
I’m also quite taken by a 1927 Fletcher Henderson version (Sullivan’s is 1956), though there’s a really big tempo shift (Henderson’s is about 200bpm, Sullivan’s 110bpm), and quite a serious difference in mood – Sullivan’s is mellow and laid back, Henderson’s (though mellow for much of his stuff in this period) is pretty well pre-swing and very up-and-down feeling (ie makes you want to charleston rather than swing out like a groover).
I also have a version by Sidney Bechet which I quite like, and I’m pretty well partial to another 1927 version, this time by Frank Trumbauer and his Orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke. This one, while the same year as Henderson’s, is really far more serious. You can hear the New Orleans funereal march echoes in this version (which is actually called I’m Coming Home Virginia and comes from this album). This one sits on about 132bpm.
I’m Coming Virginia is really the best song.
I think my favourite thing about it is the way it’s spelt on both my Henderson albums – I’m Coming Virgina.

7 Comments

  1. There’s a good Artie Shaw live version of “I’m Coming Virginia” from 1939. It’s nothing like the Fletch version, but having just listened to it, I’ll have to consider DJing it sometime soon.

  2. Oooh, nice.
    I will have to look it up.
    I’m really liking the Django version I have (Django Reinhardt with Benny Carter and his Orchestra, ‘All-Star Sessions’, 1938). I just love Django, but find I get very few opps to DJ him as he’s often faster than Melbourne kids like, the quality can vary (though I have albums like that ‘All Star Sessions’ one which is really good… let’s not even think about the Django Mosaic set) and the style just doesn’t go down well with Melbournians.
    My current favourite Django song is “I’s a Muggin'”. Unfortunately I only have two versions, each on shitty compilation CDs which don’t have full details (story of my life). But it has vocals and I really suspect it’s the Hot Club of France…which makes me wonder if I’ve actually put into my itunes a double CD I bought ages ago and has all its liner notes in French…
    Well, I have a set this Thursday – I’ll do some testing (it’s been ages since I DJed Django).

  3. ….and having just checked out that Django album… I’m an idiot. It has all the details for each song, but they’re in French (dang). The album is “40 titres d’anthologie’ – I bought it in JBs ages ago when I was going through an insane Django phase. And have neglected it ever since. I _never_ DJ Django…

  5. Dood, it’s on: let’s challenge each other to DJ a particular artist each time we’re up for a set… no, wait, let me rephrase.
    Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to DJ from a proposed artist’s collected works. If we want to make it interesting, we can specify a period (as in the case of Basie or someone else with an equally massive collected works).
    What do you think?
    We could start with Django and then suggest artists/composers/bands as we go along (eg, we could suggest someone like W.C.Handy as a composer, but play a version of one of his songs by anyone).
    I’ve only got one set finalised for January (Thursday this week), so I’ll have to pop a little Django in then. It’s the first set of the night, so it could be a challenge.
    …Virus do a really neat version of Solid Old Man which is really nice for dancing.
    I’ve heard a pretty ordinary version of Minor Swing overplayed a bit lately in Melbourne as well…

  6. I compliment you on your marvelous taste in music and your very obvious knowledge on the subject!
    Your references to the obscure are most refreshing.

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