Dixieland jazz wedding recessional help!

February 10, 2010 10:20 AM

Help us find an upbeat Dixieland jazz song for our wedding recessional (besides "When The Saints Go Marching In").

After bouncing around a lot of different ideas for our wedding recessional, we keep coming back to Dixieland, because we love New Orleans and love the music, although we are not as well-versed as we should be. Most of the stuff we have, we've had to discard because it's either too downtempo, or they take too long to get going because they either start too slow or they're live and have some endearing patter and chitchat that we don't know how to avoid.

Can the hivemind recommend Dixieland songs--and versions of songs--that would make a good wedding recessional?

posted by thinkingwoman to media & arts (12 answers total)

Maybe some Satchmo.
posted by Dick Laurent is Dead at 10:23 AM on February 10, 2010

specific song titles would help a lot. thanks!
posted by thinkingwoman at 10:25 AM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

Check out recordings by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, in particular the Tiger Rag.
posted by Commander Rachek at 10:32 AM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

"Struttin' With Some Barbecue", or if you want something a bit more stately, "Squeeze Me". Both by Louis Armstrong and the Hot Five (or maybe the Hot Seven, don't have it handy).
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:36 AM on February 10, 2010

Tiger Rag

I'll See You in My Dreams

A Kiss to Build a Dream On

Sweet Georgia Brown

and for a Southern theme, you may want to consider a rendition of Bonaparte's Retreat.
posted by Smart Dalek at 10:45 AM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

I love Dixieland when i hear it, thanks for giving me an excuse to listen to seek it out! Here are some things on Spotify that caught my fancy:

Tiger Rag: sweet and happy, and starts off very quickly

Fidgety Feet has a really cute little flourish at the beginning that could be quite fun

Ostrich Walk -- also really cute and i think my fav of the three

All three of these were from the Masters of Classic Jazz - Dixieland album.
posted by ukdanae at 10:49 AM on February 10, 2010

Sweet Georgia Brown

Great song. But most people associate it with the Harlem Globetrotters.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:57 AM on February 10, 2010

Not sure if you're looking for specific recordings or just song suggestions to give a live band, but here's some song titles

Mahogany Hall Stomp
Love is Just Around the Corner
I've Found A New Baby
Avalon
Cakewalkin Babies From Home
Blue Skies
Dinah
Dippermouth Blues
Indiana
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
Rosetta
posted by snowymorninblues at 11:16 AM on February 10, 2010

Now I see your request for specific versions, here's some suggestions that sound about 'recessional' tempo to me:


Mahogany Hall Stomp - L. Armstrong
Love is Just Around the Corner - Pee Wee Russell
I've Found A New Baby - Django Reinhart
Avalon - Red Nichols
Cakewalkin Babies From Home - L. Armstrong
Blue Skies
Dinah - Cab Calloway
Dippermouth Blues L. Armstrong/King Oliver
Indiana - Red Allen
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans - Lester Young
Rosetta - Bill Coleman
posted by snowymorninblues at 11:24 AM on February 10, 2010

Canal Street Blues
Potato Head Blues
High Society
posted by timeistight at 11:33 AM on February 10, 2010

Ooh, a chance to plug my favorite buskers: The Loose Marbles of New Orleans (their website is under construction, so the link goes to Facebook). Anyway, even if you don't hire these guys, some of the songs on their CDs would work for you:

Rose Leaf Rag
Isle of Capri
Postage Stomp
Stompin' at the El Morocco
511 Blues
Eh La Bas
Undecided (thematically antithetical to a wedding - may not fit your sense of humor)

As far as I know these are old standards, not composed by the Marbles, so you could probably find other recordings and/or sheet music for your band.
posted by Quietgal at 12:25 PM on February 10, 2010

Yay for Dixieland bands @ weddings! We had a Dixieland band at our wedding & chose Muskrat Ramble as the recessional (and I'm Confessin' that I Love You as the processional).
posted by jenh at 8:23 PM on February 10, 2010