mikeweil Posted July 1, 2003 Report Share Posted July 1, 2003 When I searched for a vocal version of "St. Thomas" I came across Mark Murphy's version, calling it "Down St. Thomas Way", credited to Ray Passman and Herb Wasserman. Virtually identical. Any stories on this? Who really wrote it? Or did they all copy it from some Calypso tune - "Fire Down Below", which Randy Weston and Ted Curson recorded, is pretty similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Fitzgerald Posted July 1, 2003 Report Share Posted July 1, 2003 It actually is an old Danish folk song called "Det var en lørdag aften" that Rollins learned from his grandmother who came from St. Thomas (the Virgin Islands were Danish until 1917). Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted July 1, 2003 Report Share Posted July 1, 2003 Now this is interesting to know, Mike! I knew the tune was not Sonny's, but somehow always thought it was a carribean tune. ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted July 2, 2003 Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 (edited) randy weston's fire down there is featured on 1955's get happy with the randy weston trio. it's unmistakably the same melody rollins later used for st. thomas. although it employs calypso rhythms, to my ears ted curson's fire down below from 1962 has a different melody. i don't doubt that the basic theme is derived from the danish folk song mike cites. i just think it's interesting to realize that as great as it is, st. thomas was not the first jazz treatment of this wonderful melody. Edited July 2, 2003 by jazzshrink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted July 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 Thanks for the input, fellowes, reads like an early example of world music .... What still puzzles me is where Passman and Wasserman come in: Did they just do the same trick as Sonny? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 I dig Aruba as well. Nice little number on Kenny Barron/Ted Dunbar In Tandem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 What still puzzles me is where Passman and Wasserman come in: Lyricist(s), maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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