Original Anthem: Life has become better
Country: Russia
Style: Jazz Waltz
“Life Has Become Better, Again” is a jazz-waltz interpretation of “Life Has Become Better” — a 1936 song by Russian composer Alexander Alexandrov, which was adopted as an unofficial anthem of the Bolshevik party. The words are taken from a speech given by Joseph Stalin in 1935.
At the time of composition the official anthem was the “Internationale” (as was the Chinese anthem from which “Twinkle Red Star” is derived). In 1944, it was made the State Anthem of the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it was briefly replaced by the “Patriotic Song” as the anthem of the Russian Federation, until its restoration in 2000.
Of all the tracks on this album, “Life Has Become Better, Again” is the closest to a typical jazz rendition of a tune, using the melody for the head and chord sequence for improvisations, with little change apart from the rhythm and instrumentation.
Instrumentation
Alto sax: Charlie Hearnshaw
Piano: Chris Lee
Electric bass: Neil Todd
Drums: Tony Plato
