Original Songs by Don Neely Written in Jazz Age Style

Beginnings

My song writing career began at the encouragement of Carla Normand who heard me noodling around on the piano on several occasions. Until then, I had improvised on the piano but never thought of writing anything down.  As a response to her emphatic prodding, I wrote and arranged my first new '20s song, "When I Dance With You," followed by my first big hit, "The Record Skip Hop."

Inspirations

The  inspirations for my songs come from observations and situations, sometimes from personal experiences such as dancing, or perhaps listening to a scratched 78 rpm record on an antique phonograph. Some others are inspired by the places we've played — The Ashkenaz, The Wawona Hotel, The Ahwahnee Hotel, the town of Eureka, and The Oakland Paramount Theatre. Some just come from a simple phrase: "Rover Got Run'd Over" and "When Lulu Does That Zulu Dance," both of which were given to me by Carla Normand as a challenge to write. Some were inspired by a bad pun such as we have with "Tequila Mocking Bird."

Styles

The songs range from the sublime to the silly, complex to simple, happy to melancholy and in the case of "Rover," the funny-sad genre. The styles I have incorporated have been: the Fox Trot, Charleston, Swing, Rumba, Tango, Waltz, Indian Intermezzo, and even a Polka.

Fooled The Experts

I had never written lyrics before, but I am rather proud of the lyrics I've written especially, "Hetch Hetchy," "Redwood" and "I Wanna Camp at the Ahwahnee." I am also proud of the fact that I managed to fool a few musicologists into thinking that my new songs were from the period and had them wondering why they had never heard them before. Check out the conversation about my song "HOW?" on Youtube.  You can watch the concert performance the RSJO did with Carla Normand singing under the redwoods at the Armstrong Woods Amphitheatre.

Don Neely Songs (Partial List) See also our CD Page for details about our recordings.

Record Skip Hop  On CD Jump Start		This is the second song that I wrote and was inspired by my personal relationship with an ancient Victrola.
Ashkenaz On CD Deja Vu		Named after a Hippyesque dance venue in Berkeley that the RSJO performed in a number of times. It is written in the Count Basie style of the 1930s.
I Wanna Camp at the Ahwahnee On CD What A Perfect Combination		Inspired by my love of Yosemite and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, and is a true statement. I figure that when I am asleep I may as well be in a good bed near a toilet.
Jump Start On CD Jump Start		I wrote this one for the Jump Swing dancers and is a late '30s Boogie Woogie arrangement.
Redwood On CD Deja Vu		Inspired by walks in the glorious Armstrong Woods near the Russian River in Guerneville CA., in whose beautiful amphitheatre we debuted this song in concert.
Bungee Jump On CD Sweet & Lowdown		Another play on words title done in the Boogie Woogie style.
Try, Try Again  On CD Deja Vu		A play on an old saying with a new twist
Eureka!  On CD Deja Vu		I wrote this one for our performance at the Eureka Jazz Festival.
Hetch-Hetchy On CD Deja Vu		I asked Tom Bopp, musician and Yosemite historian, if there were any songs about Hetch-Hetchy, which there were not. So, I wrote this ironic composition as if it were a 1903 Indian Intermezzo (a popular genre at the time).
Tequilla Mocking Bird On CD Deja Vu		Based on a bad pun and my observations of Mocking Bird behavior.
Rover Got Run'd Over On CD Deja Vu		This song comes from sheer silliness on the part of Carla and myself, and then became a challenge to write it. It is the most controversial song I have written because you either love it or hate it. 'Rover' may be the saddest funny song you’ve heard lately.
How?  On CD Deja Vu		I always wanted to write a song with a one word title. I wrote this while driving from Los Angeles to Petaluma, CA.
Wa-Wo-Na Waltz On CD Deja Vu		Another Yosemite inspired composition, it accurately describes the very quaint hotel where Tom Bopp performs nightly, and the wonderful setting of Wawona in the Sierra Mountains.
When Lulu Does that Zulu Dance On CD Deja Vu		This title idea comes from Carla Normand and was written in response to her challenge to write the song. Done in the “Hot Dance” style of the '20s.
Obligatory Polka On CD Deja Vu		My years of playing in a German band in my teens and twenties is the inspiration for this tune, which is controversial in some circles.
Lin's Lament On CD Deja Vu		This song is dedicated to one of the original members of the RSJO, Lin Patch , who was a wonderful tenor sax and reed player, and who had the '20s and '30s style in his soul, and was an Ellington devotee. This is song is written in his Cotton Club style.
When I Dance With You On CD Jump Start		Because of encouragement from Carla Normand, this is the first new old song that I wrote.
Deja Vu On CD Deja Vu		This is my first foré into the sophisticated 1930s style of writing.