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The Jailhouse Jump


I probably shouldn't have posted this song and here's why:

Izzy ♂ : 70-year-old delusional songwriter. Enthusiastic, loves the music of the 1940s.
Gerda ♀: Izzy's 60-year-old partner. German, pragmatic, loves the Blues.

Izzy: Gerda , darling! Just the woman I wanted to see! I've finished it! The song! "The Jailhouse Jump!"
Gerda: "Ze Jailhouse Jump?" Sounds… ener-jetic, Izzy. Is it about escaping, Ja? Like in "The Great Escape"?
Izzy: (Beaming) Better! It's about dancing in the jailhouse! Imagine it, Gerda! Saxophones wailing, clarinet soaring, prisoners cutting a rug! I’ll play it for you. 🤑

(The song "The Jailhouse Jump" plays. Izzy starts tapping his foot and trying to get Gerda to dance. Gerda listens with a polite but unchanging expression.)

(Song ends. Izzy looks at Gerda expectantly.)
Izzy: Well? What do you think? A hit, eh? We'll be on Top of the Pops...well, Golden Oldies night anyway. ❔ ❓

Gerda: (Takes a sip of tea) ☕ It is…how you say…vesty. Very vesty, Izzy. Like zat music from…vhat vas ze movie? "Casablanca"? 😬
Izzy: "Casablanca" had great music!
Gerda: Ja, but zat vas…a long time ago, hmmm? Zese jailbirds…zey vould listen to…Rihanna now, no? Not zis…boppity-skippity-doo-vah…music. 😮
Izzy: (a wee bit deflated) 😒 It's swing, Gerda. 1940s swing. It’s got appeal! 🙄

Gerda: (Sighs dramatically) Izzy, dahling. Ve are not living in ze fortys anymore. You understand mein point? 😕
Izzy: Gerda! It’s vintage! It’s retro! People love that! 😳💘

Gerda: (She puts her hand on her chest). You need ze Blues, Izzy. 😨
Izzy: The Blues? But I can’t write the Blues! I’m not… blue enough! I’m a fundamentally cheerful person, Gerda! What do I know about suffering? I’ve had a lovely life! (◔_◔)

Gerda: (Raises an eyebrow) You are joined to me, nicht wahr? (Not true?). But seriously. Ze Blues… zey are timeless. Like a good sauerkraut. Or a lederhosen… okay, maybe not lederhosen. But ze Blues… zey are……echt. Real. ❤️🧡💛

Izzy: But...jazz has more...complexity. More sophisticated musicality.
Gerda: (Laughing) Complexity ist good for Einstein. For you, Izzy, simplify! 😞😒😟😠😢

.................................To be continued.


Lyrics On Soundcloud
Tempo 130
Style is _MISSION.STY (Mission Shuffle Blues Horns)
558:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm Jazz Freddie Sw
3998:Horn Section, Rhythm BluesShuffleChris Sw
3482 Sax alto Soloist
764 Clarinet Soloist
Piano - a web midi file
Bass - courtesy of a friend
RealDrums :BluesShuffleHard^3-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Busy Snare, Ride

Absolutely love it, Izzy. Brian Setzer, eat your heart out.

Izzy...very cool tune...love the band you put together...even if you weren't a fan of this style of music your toes would be tapping...but I love this era of music...great lyrics very appropriate to the style...super vocal and great mix...nice production all round!

Izzy, a real toe tapper!
Super groove and instrumentation
Outstanding vocal and lyrics
This is one of if not your best to date

Heck, I loved this guy Izzy from my first reading, and now I can hear why the saying "behind every good man is a magnificent woman" as you introduce us to Gerda. Okay this is not fair. I'm on my 4th listen now. The first 2 were accompanied by that wonderful story above. You guys should have your own TV show. Best stuff ever.

Now to the song, the 3rd listen was for enjoying the lyrics and that amazing band you put together, Izzy. I have a clarinet constatntly playing in the background of my life. My feet were begging me to get off this chair and let go with the feel you created. My whole 70+ body hates you, but dang my brain and soul love you. Seriously this is magic, Izzy. Rhianna never made me want to dance.

Sweet! That's a rockin' band, and you crush the vocals. The solo trade off was nice, too. Like the cadence of the lyrics a lot, they really move the song along. I'm generally discouraged from dancing but...this could make me a bad boy indeed.

Sorry Gerda didn't get this. Not entirely her fault, being pragmatic and all.

Nicely done!

Great song, Izzy! Brilliant arrangement of the instruments in this.

Izzy,

Wow! What an absolutely great sound! Love the arrangement and your vocal.

Really great stuff!

Bob

Wonderful! So expertly done in every way! Full of life, energy, and lots of great BIAB goodness. Loved it!

Enjoyed your song introduction, clever dialog, I'm glad you posted the song despite depreciation. The song is very catchy and makes me feel home in your jailhouse, would be a great one to dance at a party. Captivating portrayals like "The warden’s keys they jingle loud/My sins they form a ghostly shroud".

Great instrument selection, strong rhythm, the horn section sounds awesome and the sax and the clarinet solos set the authentic mood perfectly.

Janne

Beth, that's such a huge compliment! Thank you so much for listening and for the kind words. Brian Setzer?! Wow, I'm truly flattered! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
regards
Izzy

Dan, thank you so much for taking the time to listen and leave such a thoughtful and encouraging review! I really appreciate you saying that, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the tune. It means a lot that you appreciate the band and the production. Hearing that you think the lyrics are fitting and that you enjoyed the mix and vocals is fantastic. Thanks again for the support!
best to you and your better half
Izzy

Hey Mario,

Wow, thank you so much for the incredibly kind words! "Real toe tapper," "super groove," "outstanding vocal and lyrics," and "best to date"?! Pressure?? ...what pressure?! I really appreciate you taking the time to listen and offer such encouraging feedback. It means the world to me! Thanks again, Mario!

Marty
Sorry about you having to endure my music while recovering from surgery? I feel like I should send you a bill for additional pain and suffering!

But in all seriousness, thank you from the bottom of my heart (and Gerda sends her thanks for the shout-out too, she’s already planning the red carpet premiere for our TV show). I'm thrilled you enjoyed the story and even more thrilled that the song could inflict some "good pain" on your 70+ year-old body. Don’t worry, I’ll take full responsibility when your doctor asks about the sudden urge to breakdance!

The clarinet approves of your inner clarinet, by the way. We always knew this song had the power to move mountains (or at least get someone out of a chair). And the Rihanna dig? Pure gold. I'll be sure to tell her next time we're grabbing coffee...or, you know, I will dream about telling her.

Thanks again for your incredible support, Marty. Wishing you a speedy and chair-dancing-free recovery! (Just kidding, keep grooving!)

Ron, you're a lifesaver...or at least a potential dance floor danger! "Bad boy indeed" - that's the kind of endorsement we live for! I'm thrilled you dug the swingin' sounds and even considered bucking the system (and your general dancing discouragement!).

As for Gerda, well, what can I say? She is a blues purist, so I understand the struggle. She makes a face like she's sucking on a lemon if anything strays too far from a down-and-dirty twelve bar. I appreciate your understanding of her... pragmatism. It's code for "absolutely no fun allowed, unless it involves a mournful harmonica."

Seriously though, thanks for the fantastic review! Glad to bring a little vintage joy (and potential rebellion!) into your day. Keep that bad boy spirit alive!

Bob, you've made my entire day! (again) Thanks a million for listening and for the ridiculously kind words. "Absolutely great sound" and "Really great stuff" are exactly the kind of things I want carved on my tombstone. Maybe with a little "He tried," underneath. 😉 Thanks again, Bob! I appreciate you!

Chay, you're too kind! Glad you appreciate the instrumental shenanigans. "Brilliant" is a dangerous word, but I'll allow it. 😉 Thanks for listening and the lovely feedback!

Tom, Thankyou so much. "Expertly done in every way" might just be the nicest thing anyone's ever said about something I've created, short of "You've won the lottery!" The "BIAB goodness" comment is particularly appreciated - it's always good to know the secret sauce is shining through. Thanks for the wonderful review and the boost of life, energy, and good vibes! I'm still grinning!
cheers
Izzy

Janne, thank you so much for your kind words! Coming from Finland, the land of musical brilliance, your appreciation means the world. I'm glad you found my jailhouse a welcoming place (even with the spectral shroud of sins!). If folks start dancing to it at parties, I'll consider my mission accomplished – perhaps I should start a prison-themed line dance craze? And yes, I'm quite fond of the BIAB "instruments of incarceration" orchestra. It's good to know the horn section and those soulful solos are doing their time properly! Kiitos!