'Flee' or 'Free' as a Bird to the Mountain
This music, popular at New Orleans Funerals, was the title of a BBC play, resulting in the following News items.
06/08/03 - A reminder that the afternoon play tomorrow, Thursday 7th. August at 2-15 pm. (FM) on Radio 4 is "Flee As A Bird To The Mountain" about a group of sixty somethings who meet up and reform the jazz band of their youth.
13/08/03 - The recent play on Radio 4 has created a lot of discussion over whether the correct title for the piece of music is Flee or Free as a Bird, with speculation that there may have been Chinese influences at work in New Orleans as well as the Spanish tinge beloved of Jelly Roll Morton. Frank Whitehead says, "I am confused about the title- "Flee as a bird." I have an old 78 of Louis Armstrong playing the New Orleans Function. Part 1 which is the slow journey to the cemetery is titled "Free as a Bird" which to me makes more sense than fleeing to the mountains". I have a Lake CD LACD 81, entitled "Sonny (Morris) meets Pat (Halcock)" with the Delta Jazz Band, and the 10th track is entitled "FLEE AS A BIRD + DIDN'T HE RAMBLE". So what should it be?
25/08/03 - Nick Telfer sent me a copy of some sheet music entitled, "Flee as a bird" which he reckons solves the question of "Free" or "Flee" once and for all.
From: Frank Whitehead
Sent: 27 August 2003 21:42
Subject: "Flee or Free", that is the question.
I
have been searching the internet to try and solve the "Flee or Free" question. The
various New Orleans Function recordings refer to both but on balance I think the
Flee must win. Attached is a label of the Louis Armstrong record which refers to
"Free", but an extract from his interview refers to "Flee".
"Flee as a bird" is a quote from the bible and there is a hymn with
that title written in 1842.
I have come to the conclusion that there was a typing error or misunderstanding at the recording studio and it was never corrected.
I think I will leave it there before people start dodging me for being an anorak
Keep up the good work,
Cheers,
Frank.
CULTURAL TRADITIONS - Jazz Funerals
Flee as a Bird to the Mountain
Louis Armstrong described a New Orleans Jazz Funeral to Edward R. Murrow in the documentary film Satchmo the Great.
And, speaking of real beautiful music, if you ever witnessed a funeral in New Orleans and they have one of those brass bands playing this funeral, you really have a bunch of musicians playing from the heart, because as they go to the cemetery they play in a funeral march, they play "Flee As a Bird," "Nearer My God Today," and they express themselves in those instruments singing those notes the same as a singer would, you know. And, they take this body to the cemetery and they put this body in the ground. While he's doin' that the snare drummer takes the handkerchief from under the drum, from under the snare, and they say "Ashes to Ashes" and put him away and everything, and the drummer rolls up the drum real loud. And, outside the cemetery they form and they start swinging "Didn't He Ramble." And, all the members, the Oddfellows, whatever lodge it is, they are on this side. And on this (other) side is a bunch of raggedy guys, you know, old hustlers and cats and Good-time Charlies and everything. Well, they right with the parade too. And, when they get to wailin' this "Didn't He Ramble," and finish, seems as though they have more fun than anybody, because they applaud for Joe Oliver, and Manny Perez, with the brass band, to play it over again, so they got to give this second line, they call it, an encore. So, that makes them have a lot of fun too, and it's really something to see.