Lady Be Better

George Gershwin’s “Lady Be Good” has been in The Flood repertoire for more than a quarter century. And lately the song has taken on a whole new life, ever since Danny Cox brought ‘round a better bunch of chords. Listen to Dan and the guys just rocking the socks off the thing!As reported earlier, Gershwin’s perennial 1924 party tune, “Lady Be Good” is a rarity among jazz standards in the Great American Songbook, surviving the transition from the loose Dixieland style of the “Roaring Twenties” to the smooth swing sound of the 1930s and beyond.Jazz ConnectionsIn fact, the song was the centerpiece for a remarkable pair of performances on Jan. 28, 1946. The venue was Los Angeles’ Philharmonic Theater Auditorium and the “Jazz at the Philharmonic” concert series, created by famed producer Norman Granz to bring together prominent jazz musicians of the era onto a single platform.Center stage that night were two musical legends poised at the intersection of shifting currents of jazz. Representing the waning days of swing was tenor saxophonist Lester Young; heralding the Next Big Thing — bebop — was altoist Charlie Parker.Pres and Bird’s distinctive takes on the Gershwin standard that night would give the Philharmonic audience a memorable contrast.As Brian Zimmerman wrote in Jazziz magazine, “Parker, soloing first, scribbles hard and fast outside the traditional jazz harmonic template, revealing a fleet mind and even fleeter fingers. Young, meanwhile, is cool and laconic, letting his deep-rooted sense of swing and seductive tone do the talking.”Even before that night, “Lady Be Good” had figured prominently in the lives of both men. Young’s 1936 “Lady” solo, from his very first recording date, is one of the most celebrated tracks in jazz history.Then four year later, when Parker recorded the same song on his very first recording date with Jay McShann, his opening phrase is a joyous acknowledgement of his debt to Young.Flood StagesThe same song also has been witness to different stages of The Flood’s ebb and flow over the years.For instance, back in 2002, Joe Dobbs brought the boys the tune, and it was a featured track on the band’s second studio album, with Chuck Romine, Sam St. Clair and Doug Chaffin joining Joe in carrying the water:Flood love of the tune really began to blossom, though, when Doug switched from bass to guitar and took charge of the lead on the number. Right up to the end, whenever Floodsters got together with their tribal elder, “Lady Be Good” was going to be played. Here, for example, from a January 2022 jam session at the Chaffin house in Ashland, Ky., you can hear Doug and Sam trading choruses with Vanessa Coffman’s tenor sax over Charlie Bowen’s chords:Now flash forward 3 1/2 more years and imagine how the band’s earlier generations would appreciate the latest Flood class’s keeping their honored tune fresh. From last week’s rehearsal, here are Danny, Sam and Charlie rocking it with Randy Hamilton and Jack Nuckols:More from DannyAnd if this has you in the mood for more Dan Cox, just tune in the Danny Channel on the free Radio Floodango music streaming service.Click here to give it a spin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com