Where Swing is King!
“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 Berigan, [..]
“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 [..]
“Star Burst” Composed by Eddie Finckel and Gene Krupa; arranged by Eddie Finckel, with assistance from Dick Taylor. Recorded by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra for Columbia on February 8, 1947 in New York. Gene [..]
“The Grabtown Grapple” Composed by Artie Shaw and Buster Harding; head arrangement worked out by Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five for Victor on January 9-10, 1945 [..]
“‘Round Midnight” Composed by Thelonoius Monk; arranged by Gene Roland. Recorded by Gene Roland and His Swingin’ Friends for Brunswick on May 23-24, 1963 in New York. Gene Roland directing: Eugene “Snooky” Young, first trumpet; [..]
“Long Tall Mama” Composed and arranged by Billy May. Recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra on November 3, 1941 for RCA Victor in New York. Glenn Miller, first trombone, directing: R.D. “Mickey” McMickle, first [..]
“It Never Entered My Mind” Composed by Richard Rodgers (music) and Lorenz Hart (lyric); vocal arrangement by Gene Puerling. Recorded by the Oscar Peterson Trio and the Singers Unlimited in July of 1971 for MPS [..]
“Flying Home” Composed by Lionel Hampton and Benny Goodman. Head arrangement organized by Lionel Hampton. Recorded by Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra for Decca on May 26, 1942 in New York. Lionel Hampton, vibraphone, directing: [..]
“The Pied Piper” Composed by Buddy Arnold and Jack Gould; arranged by Joe Lippman. Recorded by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra for Victor on June 8, 1938 in New York. Bunny Berigan, trumpet, directing: Steve [..]
“Ring Dem Bells” Composed by Duke Ellington; arranged by Johnny Watson. Recorded by Jan Savitt and HisTop Hatters live from a broadcast from the Blue Room of Hotel Lincoln in New York City on August [..]
“Norfolk Ferry” Composed by Erskine Hawkins; arranged by Sammy Lowe. Recorded by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra on November 10, 1940 in New York. Erskine Hawkins, trumpet, directing: Sammy Lowe, first trumpet; Wilbur “Dud” Bascomb, [..]
“I Surrender, Dear” Music by Harry Barris; arrangement by Jerry Gray and Artie Shaw. Recorded on August 27, 1939 by Artie Shaw and his Orchestra for RCA/Bluebird in New York. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Bernie [..]
“Well, Git It” Composed and arranged by Sy Oliver. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Victor on March 9, 1942 in Hollywood, California. Tommy Dorsey, trombone, directing: Ziggy Elman, Chuck Peterson, Jimmy Blake, [..]
“No Name Jive” Composed and arranged by Larry Wagner. Recorded by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra for Decca on March 18, 1940 in New York. Glen Gray, directing: Frank Ryerson, first trumpet; H. [..]
