Where Swing is King!
“The Happy Stranger” Composed by John Benson Brooks; arranged by Gil Evans. Recorded by Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra on November 4, 1947 for Associated Transcription Service in New York. Claude Thornhill, piano, directing: Paul [..]
“Stairway to the Stars” Composed by Matty Malneck and Frank Signorelli (music), and Mitchell Parish (lyric). Arranged by Jerry Gray. Recorded by the New York All-Star Big Band on August 8-9, 2016 in New York. [..]
“For Dancers Only” Composed and arranged by Sy Oliver. Recorded by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra on June 15, 1937 for Decca in New York. Jimmie Lunceford, directing: Eddie Tompkins, Paul Webster, Sy Oliver, trumpets; [..]
“Star Dust” Composed by Hoagy Carmichael; arranged by Bill Finegan and Glenn Miller. Recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra on January 29, 1940 for Bluebird in New York. Glenn Miller, trombone, directing: R.D. McMickle, [..]
“Lush Life” Composed by Billy Strayhorn; arranged by Harold Mooney. Recorded on April 1, 1956 by Sarah Vaughan for Mercury Records in New York. Billy Strayhorn met Duke Ellington backstage at the Stanley Theater in [..]
“Forty Days” Composed by Dave Brubeck. Head arrangement by Dave Brubeck Quartet. Recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet for Columbia Records in New York between September 20 and October 13, 1965. Dave Brubeck, piano; Paul [..]
“These Foolish Things” Composed by Eric Maschwitz (Holt Marvel), lyric; Jack Strachey and Harry Link, music. Arranged by Ray Conniff. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra on June 8, 1945 for RCA Victor in [..]
“Rattle and Roll” Composed and arranged by Wilbur “Buck” Clayton. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra for Columbia on December 19, 1945 in New York. Benny Goodman, clarinet, directing: Conrad Gozzo, first trumpet; John [..]
“Manha de Carnaval” Music composed by Luiz Bonfa’. Recorded by the Vince Guaraldi Trio in February, 1962 for Fantasy Records in San Francisco. Vince Guaraldi, piano; Monty Budwig, bass; Colin Bailey, drums. The story: As [..]
Very recently, swingandbeyond.com has hosted its 20,000th viewer! That is very good news for me and for everyone who likes this thing called swing. This blog has been up and running since March of 2016. [..]
I have previously posted here at swingandbeyond.com Artie Shaw’s classic 1938 recording of Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine.” Since 1938, dozens, perhaps hundreds of artists have recorded “Begin the Beguine.” Few of those recordings [..]
“Don’t Take Your Love From Me” Composed by Henry Nemo; arranged by Artie Shaw. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra on June 26, 1941 in New York. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Henry “Red” Allen, [..]
“Red Top” Head arrangement on the blues worked out by Woody Herman and his band. Recorded by Woody Herman and His Orchestra live at the Meadowbrook Ballroom in Cedar Grove, New Jersey on February 18, [..]
The story: In the mid and late 1970s, I was fortunate enough to make several trips to New York City with the specific purpose of trying to hear as much music and see as many [..]
“Blue Reverie” Composed by Duke Ellington and Harry Carney; arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Cootie Williams and His Rug Cutters for Variety on March 8-9, 1937 in New York. Edward K. “Duke” Ellington, piano, [..]
The story: Over the years, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to talk with many great musicians who began long and successful careers during (and sometimes before) the swing era. Most of [..]
“Portrait of a Guinea Farm” Composed and arranged by Claude Thornhill. Recorded by Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra for Okeh/Columbia in New York on April 16, 1941. Claude Thornhill, piano, directing: Conrad Gozzo, first trumpet; [..]
“Tuxedo Junction” Composed by Erskine Hawkins, William Johnson and Julian Dash; head arrangement organized by William Johnson. Recorded by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra for RCA-Bluebird on July 18, 1939 in New York. Erskine Hawkins, [..]
“U.M.M.G” Composed by Billy Strayhorn; arranged by Clare Fischer. Recorded by Dizzy Gillespie on April 27-28, 1960 for Verve in New York City. John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, trumpet, directing: Ray Alonge, Richard Berg, Joe Singer, [..]
The story: This post is not about James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. Rather, it is a look back at the musical heritage that master swing era (and later) arranger Bill Finegan has left us. William James Finegan [..]
“Une Letter de Jean” Composed by Jean-Paul Monsche’ Recorded by the Morpheus Trio for Lucid in 1997 in Los Angeles. The Morpheus Trio: Jean-Paul Monsche’, piano; Stephen Heidtmann, bass; Willie McNeil, drums. The Story: This [..]
The story: It is always challenging to write objectively and accurately about Artie Shaw’s music and personality. On the one hand, much of the music Shaw made during the swing era was wonderful, indeed great. [..]
“Tenderly” Composed by Walter Gross. Recorded on December 28-29, 1953 by Art Tatum for Clef in Los Angeles. Art Tatum, solo piano. The story: How does one begin to discuss the piano artistry of Art Tatum? Adjectives [..]
“Pompton Turnpike” Composed by Will Osborne and Dick Rogers; arranged by Billy May. Recorded by Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra for Bluebird on July 19, 1940 in New York. Charlie Barnet, soprano saxophone, directing: Sam [..]
This is the third and final part of swingandbeyond’s centenary tribute to drum legend Buddy Rich, who was born on September 30, 1917. The story: Buddy Rich reached the acme of his career as a [..]
“It Never Entered My Mind” Composed by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Recorded by George Shearing for Concord Jazz in San Francisco, California in May of 1985. George Shearing, solo piano. The story: Two of [..]
“Robbins’ Nest” Composed by Illinois Jacquet and Sir Charles Thompson; arranged by Henry Mancini. Recorded by Henry Mancini and His Orchestra for RCA Victor on August 11, 1959 in Hollywood, California. Henry Mancini, directing: Dick [..]
“I Got Rhythm” Composed by George Gershwin; arranged by Fletcher Henderson. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra live from the NBC “Let’s Dance” radio show of May 4, 1935. Benny Goodman, clarinet, directing: George [..]
Very recently, swingandbeyond.com has hosted its 10,000th viewer! That is very good news for me and for everyone who likes this thing called swing. This blog has been up and running since March of 2016. [..]
Michael P. Zirpolo’s Review of “Glenn Miller Declassified” by Dennis M. Spragg. The definitive story of how swing era bandleader Glenn Miller was lost on a flight from England to France on December 15, 1944 [..]