Where Swing is King!
“A-Tisket, A-Tasket” Composed by Ella Fitzgerald and Al Feldman; arranged by Al Feldman.* Recorded by Chick Webb and His Orchestra for Decca on May 2, 1938 in New York. Chick Webb, drums, directing: Mario Bauza, [..]
“Where or When” Music by Richard Rodgers, lyric by Lorenz Hart. Arranged by Artie Shaw and Richard Breach. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra on September 14, 1950 for Decca in New York. Artie [..]
“Anitra’s Dance” Composed by Edvard Grieg; arranged by Charlie Shavers. Recorded by the John Kirby Sextet for Vocalion/Columbia on May 19, 1939 in New York. John Kirby, bass, directing: Charlie Shavers, trumpet; William “Buster” Bailey, [..]
“Afternoon of a Moax” (“Shake, Rattle and Roll”) Composed and arranged by Charlie Barnet. Recorded by Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra for RCA-Bluebird on April 16, 1940 in New York. Charles D. “Charlie” Barnet, tenor [..]
“9:20 Special” Composed by Earle Warren; arranged by Buster Harding. Recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra for Okeh/Columbia on April 10, 1941 in Chicago. William J. “Count” Basie, piano, directing: Edward Lewis, first trumpet; [..]
“Drop Me Off in Harlem” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra for Brunswick on February 16, 1933 in New York. Duke Ellington, piano, directing: Arthur Whetsel, first trumpet; [..]
“Innuendo” Composed and arranged by Johnny Mandel. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for Thesaurus Transcription Service in late December, 1949 in New York. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Don Paladino, Vic Ford, Dale Pierce [..]
“When the Sun Comes Out” Composed by Harold Arlen (music) Ted Koehler (lyric); arranged by Eddie Sauter. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra for Columbia on June 4, 1941 in New York. Benny Goodman, [..]
“The Duke” Composed by Dave Brubeck. Recorded live by the Dave Brubeck Quartet for Columbia at Basin Street in New York on July 23, 1955. Dave Brubeck, piano; Paul Desmond, alto saxophone; Bob Bates, bass; [..]
“It’s All Yours” Composed by Dorothy Fields and Arthur Schwartz; arranged by Paul Wetstein (Weston). Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Victor on January 19, 1939 in New York. Tommy Dorsey, first and [..]
“I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra on March 3, 1938 for Brunswick in New York. Duke Ellington, piano, directing: [..]
“I’m Prayin’ Humble” Traditional Afro-American spiritual tune arranged by Bob Haggart. Recorded by Bob Crosby and His Orchestra for Decca on October 19, 1938 in Chicago. Bob Haggart, bass, directing: Rubin “Zeke” Zarchy, first trumpet; [..]
“Down by the Old Mill Stream” Composed by Tell Taylor and Arthur Clough; unknown arranger. Recorded live on October 31, 1936 from a broadcast of the Saturday Night Swing Club over the CBS radio network. Bunny [..]
“The Lonesome Road” Composed by Gene Austin (words) and Nat Shilkret (music); arranged by Sy Oliver. Recorded by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra for Vocalion(*) on January 31, 1939 in New York. Jimmie Lunceford, directing: [..]
“Plymouth Rock” Composed and arranged (*) by Neal Hefti. Recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra for Clef on August 13, 1953 in Los Angeles. William J. “Count” Basie, piano, directing: Reunald Jones, Wendell Culley, [..]
“Boulder Buff” Composed Eugene Novello; arranged by Fred Norman. Recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra for RCA/Bluebird on May 7,1941 in Hollywood. Glenn Miller, trombone, directing: John Best first trumpet; R.D. McMickle, Ray Anthony [..]
“Vol Vistu Gaily Star” Composed by Slim Gaillard, Slam Stewart and Bud Green; arranged by Johnny Watson. Recorded by Jan Savitt and His Top Hatters for Decca on August 29, 1939 in New York. Jan [..]
Tales from the Kingdom of Swing -Tale Number Two: “Hey Eugene, take the gum out of your mouth!” The story: The swing era was not only a time when wonderful music was being made, it [..]
“Yes Indeed!” Composed and arranged by Sy Oliver. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Victor on February 17, 1941 in New York. Tommy Dorsey, first and solo trombone, directing: Ziggy Elman, first [..]
“The Sergeant Was Shy” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra on August 28, 1939 for Columbia in New York. (# See note below.) Duke Ellington, piano, directing: Wallace [..]
“I’m in the Market for You” Composed by James F. Hanley (music) and Joseph McCarthy (lyric); probably arranged by Jack Matthias. Recorded by Harry James and His Orchestra for Columbia in Los Angeles on November [..]
“Blue and Sentimental” Composed by Count Basie; arranged by Eddie Durham. Recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra for Decca on June 6, 1938 in New York. William J. “Count” Basie, directing: Ed Lewis [..]
“Breakfast Feud” Composed by Benny Goodman; head arrangement worked out by Benny Goodman and the members of his Sextet. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Sextet(*) for Columbia on January 15, 1941(**) in New [..]
“Chinatown Theme” Composed by Jerry Goldsmith; trumpet solo by Uan Rasey. The story: Jerry Goldsmith, the composer of the haunting melodic theme for the great film Chinatown has explained how he created this timeless, evocative music: “Chinatown [..]
“Yesterdays” Composed by Jerome Kern; arranged by Jerry Gray. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for RCA/Bluebird on September 27, 1938 in New York. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: John Best, first trumpet; Chuck Peterson [..]
“Salute” Composed and arranged by Pete Rugolo. Recorded by Stan Kenton and His Orchestra for Capitol in Hollywood on December 23, 1958. Stan Kenton conducting: Milt Bernhart, Archie Le Coque, Kent Larsen (tenor trombones); Bob [..]
“Concerto for Cootie” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra for Victor on March 15,1940 in Chicago. Duke Ellington, piano, directing: Wallace Jones, first trumpet; Rex Stewart, cornet; Cootie [..]
“Polka Dots and Moonbeams” Composed by Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Johnny Burke (lyric); arranged by Axel Stordahl. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for RCA- Bluebird on March 4, 1940 in New York. [..]
“Star Song” Composed by Vince Guaraldi Recorded by Vince Guaraldi for Fantasy in San Francisco, California in August, 1963. Vince Guaraldi, piano, directing: Bola Sete, guitar; Fred Marshall, bass; Jerry Granelli, drums. The story: Certain [..]
