Where Swing is King!
“Pussy Willow” Composed and arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for RCA Victor on March 16, 1949 in New York. Tommy Dorsey, first trombone, directing: Vern Arslan, Jack Dougherty, Chuck [..]
“September in the Rain” Composed by Harry Warren (music), and Al Dubin (lyric); arranged in 1938 by Eddie Sauter for the Red Norvo band and their vocalist, Mildred Bailey, but never recorded. Recorded by Loren [..]
“The Wearin’ of the Green” Irish street ballad; arranged by Joe Lippman. Recorded by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra for Victor on May 26, 1938 in New York. Roland Bernard “Bunny” Berigan, solo trumpet, directing: [..]
“Snowy Morning Blues” Composed by James P. Johnson; head arrangement by Howard Alden and Monty Alexander. Recorded by the Howard Alden Trio with Monty Alexander for Concord in April of 1990 in New York. Howard [..]
“Introduction – Nutcracker Suite” Composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky; arranged by Billy Strayhorn. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra on May 26, 1960 in Los Angeles. Duke Ellington, piano, directing: Eddie Mullins, Andres Meringuito, Willie [..]
“Turbans on Parade”/Danse Arabe Composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky; probably arranged by Johnny Thompson. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Decca on April 15, 1953 in New York. Thomas F. Dorsey, Jr. first and [..]
“Is This Gonna Be My Lucky Summer?” Composed by Rube Bloom (music) and Benny Davis (lyric); head arrangement by Tommy Dorsey and the Clambake Seven. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Clambake Seven on June [..]
“In the Mood” Composed by Joe Garland; arranged by Glenn Miller, with input from Eddie Durham and Chummy MacGregor. Recorded live in performance from a CBS Chesterfield radio show by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra [..]
“April in Paris” Composed by Vernon Duke; arranged by Bobby Sherwood. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for Victor on May 14, 1940 in Hollywood. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Harry Geller, first trumpet; Mannie [..]
“Jingle Bells” Composed by J.S. Pierpont; arranged by Lyle “Spud” Murphy. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra for Victor on July 1, 1935 in New York. Benny Goodman, clarinet, directing: Bunny Berigan, first and [..]
“Autumn Nocturne” Composed by Josef Myrow; arranged by Claude Thornhill. Recorded by Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra for Columbia on October 6, 1941 in New York. Claude Thornhill, piano, directing: Conrad Gozzo, first trumpet; Lyle [..]
“Theme from A Summer Place” Music by Max Steiner (*); arranged and conducted by Percy Faith. Recorded by Percy Faith and His Orchestra for Columbia on September 11, 1960 in New York. The story – [..]
“Christmas Time is Here” Composed by Vince Guaraldi. Recorded in 1965 by the Vince Guaraldi Trio for Fantasy Records in San Francisco, California. Vince Guaraldi, piano; Fred Marshall, bass; Jerry Granelli, drums. The story: Elsewhere [..]
“Autumn in Washington Square” Composed by Dave Brubeck. Recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet for Columbia on July 15, 1964 in New York. Dave Brubeck, piano; Paul Desmond, alto saxophone; Eugene Wright, bass; Joe Morello, [..]
“September Song” Composed by Kurt Weill (music). Arranged by Ray Conniff. Recorded by Artie Shaw and his Orchestra for Victor on April 5, 1945 in Hollywood. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Paul Cohen, first trumpet, Bernie [..]
“Guess I’ll Go Back Home (This Summer)” Composed by Willard Robison (music) and Ray Mayer (lyric); arranged by Bill Challis. Recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra for RCA Bluebird on June 2, 1939 in [..]
“April” Composed and arranged by Al Cohn. Recorded by Larry Elgart and His Orchestra for RCA Victor Records in April of 1959 in New York. Larry Elgart, alto saxophone; other musicians unknown. (*) The story: [..]
“Autumn Serenade” Composed by Peter De Rose; arranged by Billy May. Recorded by Harry James and His Orchestra for Columbia on July 24,1945 in Hollywood. Harry James, trumpet, directing: Jimmy Campbell, Irwin Berken, Al Ramsey, [..]
“(How I’ll Miss You) When Summer is Gone” Composed by Hal Kemp; arranged by Billy Maxted. Recorded by Billy Maxted and His Manhattan Jazz Band for Liberty in 1967. Billy Maxted, piano, directing: Bob [..]
“Afternoon in August” Composed and arranged by Bill Stegmeyer. Recorded by Billy Butterfield and His Orchestra for Capitol on November 10, 1947 in New York. Billy Butterfield, trumpet, directing: Archie Johnson, Bob Peck and Jack [..]
“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 [..]
“My Funny Valentine” Composed by Richard Rodgers (music) and Lorenz Hart (lyric). Privately recorded by the Artie Shaw Gramercy Five in Hollywood in June of 1954. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Hank Jones, piano; Joe Puma, [..]
The story: Try to rewind your mind to the summer of 1945, in the San Fernando Valley district of Los Angeles, California. I quote singer Mel Torme’ (shown at left in the 1940s) to fill [..]
“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 [..]
“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 [..]
“Snowfall” Composed and arranged by Claude Thornhill. Recorded for Columbia by Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra on May 21, 1941 in New York. Claude Thornhill, piano, directing: Conrad Gozzo, first trumpet; Lyle F. “Rusty” Dedrick, [..]
“White Christmas” Composed by Irving Berlin. Recorded by Barbra Streisand for Columbia in September 1967 in Los Angeles. The story – part one: There’s never been such a day… I have learned again and again throughout [..]
“Jingle Bells” Composed by J.S. Pierpont; arranged by Bill Finegan and Glenn Miller. Additional lyrics by Hal Dickinson and Bill Conway. Recorded live on the CBS “Moonlight Serenade Chesterfield Time with Glenn Miller” radio show [..]
“Let It Snow” Composed by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne; arranged by Neal Hefti. Recorded by Woody Herman and His Orchestra for Columbia on December 10, 1945 in New York City. Woody Herman, vocal, directing: [..]
“Summer Sequence Part 4” Composed and Arranged by Ralph Burns. Recorded by Woody Herman and His Orchestra for Columbia on December 27, 1947 in Hollywood, California. Woody Herman, alto saxophone, directing: Bernie Glow, first trumpet; [..]