Where Swing is King!
“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 [..]
“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 [..]
“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 [..]
“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 [..]
“‘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 [..]
“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, [..]
“Hay Burner” Composed and arranged by Sammy Nestico. Recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra for Dot on September 3-4, 1968 in Hollywood, California. Sammy Nestico, piano, directing: Gene Coe, first trumpet; George “Sonny” Cohn, [..]
“Gypsy Without a Song” Composed by Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol and Lou Singer; arranged by Lou Singer. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra for Master/Brunswick on June 20, 1938 in New York. Duke Ellington, [..]
“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, [..]
“Blues for Brando” Composed by Leith Stevens; arranged by Leith Stevens with probable assistance by Shorty Rogers.(*) Recorded by Leith Stevens with Shorty Rogers on August 14, 1953 in Hollywood, California. Leith Stevens, directing: [..]
“Easy Does It” Composed by Sy Oliver and James “Trummy” Young; arranged by Jimmy Mundy. Recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra for Columbia on March 20, 1940 in New York. William J. “Count” Basie, [..]
“4:30 Blues” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra in concert on November 25-26, 1969 in Manchester, England. Duke Ellington, piano, directing: William “Cat” Anderson, Charles M. “Cootie” Williams, [..]
“Morning Glory” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra for Victor on March 6, 1940 in Chicago. Duke Ellington, piano, directing: Wallace Jones, first trumpet, Cootie Williams, trumpet, Rex [..]
“New Blues” Composed and arranged by Donall Piestrup. Recorded by the Buddy Rich Big Band on June 15, 1967 for Pacific Jazz/Liberty in Hollywood. Buddy Rich, drums, directing: Ollie Mitchell, Chuck Finley, John Scottile and [..]
Johnny Mercer…Poet of American Popular Song The story: I have found over time that my reading is very often directed by the music I have listened to recently. Last month, I rediscovered (for the umteenth [..]
“Invitation” Composed by Bronislaw Kaper; arranged by Walt Stuart. Recorded by Buddy Morrow and His Orchestra in New York in 1963. The Story: Bronislaw Kaper (shown at left in the 1950s) was born on February 5, 1902 [..]
“Malibu” Composed and arranged by Benny Carter. Recorded by Benny Carter and His Orchestra for Capitol on April 9, 1945 in Los Angeles. Benny Carter, alto saxophone, directing: Paul Cohen, first trumpet; Gerald Wilson, Emmett [..]
“The Folks Who Live on the Hill” Composed by Jerome Kern; arranged by Johnny Keating. Recorded by Ted Heath and His Music for Decca in London, England in 1956. Ted Heath, directing: Bobby Pratt, first [..]
“The Chant” Composed and arranged by Artie Shaw. Recorded from a CBS Melody and Madness radio broadcast on March 12, 1939. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: John Best, first trumpet; Chuck Peterson and Bernie Privin, trumpets; George [..]
“Detour Ahead” Composed by Johnny Frigo, Lou Carter and Herb Ellis. (* see below). Recorded by Ella Fitzgerald with Herb Ellis, guitar, on March 25, 1959 for Verve in Hollywood. The story: By the time [..]