In the 1920s and early 1930s Whiteman dubbed himself The King of Jazz (see: Jazz royalty). Much of what his band played hasn't been considered "true" jazz by later generations. Others reject these notions, and regard Whiteman's music as an interesting development in jazz history. He recorded Hoagy Carmichael singing and playing Washboard Blues to the accompaniment of his orchestra in 1926.[1]
While today most fans of jazz consider improvisation to be essential to the musical style, Whiteman thought the music could be improved by scoring the best of it. Modern revisionists might look back & say "that wasn't the True Jazz", but his notions were critically popular and commercially successful at the time. Whiteman's music was often the first jazz of any form that some people heard.
Duke Ellington wrote in his autobiography: "Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity."
Whiteman commissioned George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, which was premiered by Whiteman's Orchestra with Gershwin at the piano in 1924. Another familiar piece in Whiteman's repertoire: Grand Canyon Suite, by Ferde Grofé (much of which was used in the score of A Christmas Story).
Whiteman appreciated jazz musicians and hired many of the best white jazz men for his band, including Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Steve Brown, Mike Pingitore, Gussie Mueller, Jack Teagarden, and Bunny Berigan. Whiteman gave them constant chances to improvise, paid them top salaries and encouraged them to make small band jam recordings on the side.
Paul Whiteman was primarily responsible for revolutionizing the dance orchestra and dance music after World War I. Prior to that time, dances were played by military bands, string ensembles, or small combinations. Working in 1918-19 with arranger Ferde Grofé and in parallel with fellow San Francisco bandleader Art Hickman, Whiteman introduced the saxophone section as a musical unit of equal weight with the brass. This set a standard for instrumentation that defined the dance orchestra, and remains in big bands to this day. Before Whiteman, musical arrangements were very cut-and-dried, with much repetition. Whiteman and Grofé introduced arrangements that instead of repeating, changed keys, textures and rhythms over their course, much like symphonic music. This innovation, combined with the jazz elements mentioned above, plus his insistence on using top notch, concert-calibre musicians, made Paul Whiteman's orchestra a vanguard force that changed the face of popular music in the 1920s.
Whiteman was also one of the greatest of all talent scouts. For over 30 years, he sought out and encouraged musicians, vocalists, composers, arrangers and entertainers who looked promising. It is worth repeating that Whiteman not only premiered George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" in 1924, but commissioned him to write it, much to Gershwin's surprise at the time.
Both Bing Crosby and Mildred Bailey got their start singing with the Whiteman Orchestra.
In 1931, Whiteman married motion picture actress Margaret Livingston.
After he disbanded his Orchestra, in the 1940s and 1950s Whiteman worked as a music director for the ABC Radio Network. He also hosted several television programs and continued to appear as guest conductor for many concerts.
Paul Whiteman died at the age of 77 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Muddy Water
Paul Whiteman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Headed home bound just once more
To my Mississippi Delta home.
Southland has that grand garden spot,
Although, you believe it or not,
I hear those breezes a-whispering, "Come on back to me!".
Muddy water in the street,
Just Gods don't shelter
Down on the Delta!
Muddy water in my shoes,
Reelin' and rockin' to them low-down blues,
They live in comfort and ease down there,
I do declare!
Been away
A year today,
to wander and roam;
I don't care
It's muddy there,
But see, it's my home!
Got my toes turned Dixie way,
Round the Delta let me lay,
My heart cries out for muddy water!
The lyrics to Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra's song "Muddy Water" are a nostalgic tribute to the Mississippi Delta region that the singer has been away from for a year. The opening verse sets the scene with references to the Dixie moonlight and the Swanee shore. The singer expresses a strong desire to return home to the Southland, which they describe as a grand garden spot despite the muddy water that surrounds it. The imagery of the whispering breezes creates a sense of longing and nostalgia as the singer yearns to return.
The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "Muddy water" which is used to describe the singer's surroundings. The muddy water is not just a physical presence around the singer's feet and in the street, but it is also a metaphor for the challenges and hardships of life in the Delta. The singer talks about how the Gods don't shelter down on the Delta, which may be a reference to the lack of protection from natural disasters like flooding. The final line of the chorus, "I do declare!", is a Southern expression of emphasis.
The final verse builds on the theme of the singer's strong emotional connection to the Delta, despite its challenges. The reference to the singer's toes turned Dixie way creates a sense of physical and emotional alignment with the region. The line "My heart cries out for muddy water" is a powerful expression of the singer's love and longing for home, even with all its difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
Dixie moonlight, Swanee shore,
Under Dixie moonlight, on the banks of the Swanee River,
Headed home bound just once more
On my way back home for just one last time
To my Mississippi Delta home.
To my hometown in the Mississippi Delta region
Southland has that grand garden spot,
The Southern region of the US has an attractive and idyllic location,
Although, you believe it or not,
Even if you don't believe it,
I hear those breezes a-whispering, "Come on back to me!".
I can hear the winds whispering "Come back to your roots."
Muddy water round my feet,
My feet are covered with muddy water as I stand there,
Muddy water in the street,
The streets are filled with muddy water,
Just Gods don't shelter
Not even the Gods provide shelter,
Down on the Delta!
In the Delta region!
Muddy water in my shoes,
My shoes are filled with muddy water,
Reelin' and rockin' to them low-down blues,
I dance energetically to the blues music,
They live in comfort and ease down there,
People live happily down there
I do declare!
I say this with conviction!
Been away
I've been away from home,
A year today,
It's been a year exactly today,
to wander and roam;
Traveling around aimlessly;
I don't care
I'm not bothered,
It's muddy there,
Even though it's muddy there,
But see, it's my home!
That's where I belong, that's my home!
Got my toes turned Dixie way,
I'm headed in the direction of Dixie,
Round the Delta let me lay,
Let me stay in the Delta,
My heart cries out for muddy water!
My heart yearns for the familiar muddy waters of the Delta region!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HARRY RICHMAN, JO TRENT, PETER DEROSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind