Part A and Part B of Gatsby's Song

As a new assignment, I'm supposed to choose a Jazz song that evokes the 1920's in which Jay Gatsby lived, or that at least, carries a 20's-ish, Gatsby-ish spirit to my head. I've chosen Oleo, by Sonny Rollins. This song does reminds me of the 20's, and does remind me of Jay Gatsby. It is not, however, a song created in the 20's nor of any style found in them. This song was created in the 50's and it is a Bebop composition, something almost opposite to the style found in the 20's Jazz. I find this song reminiscent of the novel because of purely theoretical applications when playing it. And with theory, I mean musical theory.

 

I find this version to be quite appealing, it is played by the Miles Davis Quintet. It clearly accentuates the parts I need to explain how it evokes the novel in my ears. The song is clearly divided into to parts: Part A and Part B. Part A is the first, main verse and it's the only transcribed verse of the song, it is a clearly major part and it gives sort of a flamboyant, blissful party atmosphere to it. Part B on the other side, even if it's still being played in major modes (Mixolydian), it carries a completely different atmosphere; an almost dark, eerie mood, without letting the flamboyancy out. An uneasy feeling creeps your back when Davis plays his trumpet here. 

What makes me think of this song as a nice portrayal of the novel is that while part A is rather happy and almost inevitably paints a smile on your face, Part B creates a whole different impression; a darker mood which even if it still carries some of that previous party, it gives a more serious and dim light to the song. It seems just like the novel to me, two faces of one same thing. While on the outside, Gatsby is a gentleman of extravagant and luxuriant manner, happy and cheerful and on the 'inside', he's a bootlegger, a different kind of gentleman, which can only be imagined as walking out of lurid pub in the middle of the night, which parties, but in a darker and more 'underground' way. The two faces of Gatsby, seem to me, reflected on the two parts of the song; a beautiful analogy of notes and letters.