Funeral songs

[Chrome]

Seeing Peter's will reminded me of something ... not to be morbid, but has anyone else already picked out the music they'd like played at their funeral?

I made my wife promise to play the Charlie Musselwhite version of Christo Redentor at mine.

[AmirBagachelles]

I do hope my family will stick to this: Death Don't Have No Mercy from Live/Dead during the processional into the pub, and then Saint Stephen and The Eleven as soon as the hocus pocus is over and the barkeep yells BAR IS OPEN!!!

[paul secor]

I haven't thought about this myself, though I have mentioned to my wife that I'd like to have a party for friends at a space with a good jazz band and good recordings.

About 5 or 6 years ago, the husband of a friend of my wife asked me to make up a recorded cassette of traditional New Orleans jazz for his father's funeral. His father liked that music, but he knew nothing about it. I can't remember what I recorded - I seem to remember that some Atlantic Paul Barbarin things were included, but I'm not sure. I do remember that I was going to do a New Orleans thing of slow going to the graveyard, and uptempo leaving, but I figured the family wouldn't be into that, so I just made it a mixture.

[Dan Gould]

I haven't shared this with my wife yet (I think you need to have wills drawn up before you talk about funeral issues!) but the former Gene Harris Fanatic has thought a bit about this and I think an excellent choice would be Gene Harris "Blues For Ste Chappelle"

Audio Clip Here

I don't want something slow and sad, this is a nice uptempo, uplifting, "happy" blues that I think would bring a smile to people's faces. Its also short, under five minutes, so its not likely to bore the crowd.

Another option would be any of a number of Gene's performances of "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" though that would bring Christianity into a non-Christian service.

[Christiern]

At age 72, I have never attended a funeral. I guess the only way to keep that going is to not have one of my own.

[Muskrat Ramble]

No clue, but "Dorham's Epitaph" from Whistle Stop would be good if you want to go the elegiac, autumnal route. "Shake your Bon Bon" by Ricky Martin if you want one last laugh on the way down/up

[chris olivarez]

Santana's "Song Of The Wind" and the New Orleans versions of "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You" and "When The Saints Go Marchin In".