Jazz vs. Rock and Roll

My baby and I, had a fight last night/ She said I´m wrong, but I know I´m right/

Now, I love that gal – heart and soul/ But I dig Jazz! … and she loves Rock´n´Roll!

Found this crazy 45 in the cheapo bin of a local second-hand record store last week, for one measly Euro. No idea how it ended up there, but it sure is a killer.

Issued by the Jaro label in 1959, at the hight of the Beatnik-craze, this was Woody Byrd´s sole 45. Jaro was a subsidiary of Top Rank International. This seems to be the label´s first release. Both sides were also issued on Top Rank in New Zealand. Jazz vs. Rock and Roll would have fit perfectly on the Welcome to the Beat Generation – comp that came out in the late 90s. Despite its cool combination of jive talk, swingin´ jazz music and rock´n´roll guitars, the song has never been re-released. At least I couldn´t find it. Maybe it´s too much of a real novelty break-in record, to be of interest to rock´n´roll fans. Much less jazz fans.

Or maybe it´s just too silly…

WOODY BYRD, Jazz vs. Rock´n´Roll, 1959

The title of the flip is a bit misleading. Chop Sticks Cha Cha Cha  is a latin-tinged Rhythm & Blues tune with a cool saxophone solo…

WOODY BYRD, Chop Sticks Cha Cha Cha, 1959

My baby and I, had a fight last night/ She said I´m wrong, but I know I´m right/

Now, I love that gal – heart and soul/ But I dig Jazz!/ …/ and she loves Rock´n´Roll!/…/

She said I´m square and just don´t swing/ I said get hip baby and dig my scene/

Oh me oh my what a rigamarole/ cause I love Jazz!/ …/ and she digs Rock´n´Roll/…/

It was a wild scene all the way/ …/ two radios were blasting night and day/ …

I´d be coolin´Jazz on my Christmas set/ …/ Then she tuned in some crazy quartet!/ …/

(Turn it off! Turn it off!)

We were so confused, we didn´t know what to do/ So we just decided, that they both would do/

And now we get our kicks today,/ whenever we hear that cool cat say:/

(„A one, and a two and a…“)