Where Swing is King!
“Uncle Bud” Composed and arranged by William Johnson. Recorded by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra for Bluebird on May 15, 1941 in New York. Erskine Hawkins, trumpet, directing: Sammy Lowe, first trumpet; Wilbur “Dud” Bascomb, [..]
“Lover’s Leap” Composed and arranged by Bob Higgins. Recorded by Les Brown and His Orchestra for Columbia on February 25, 1946 in New York. Les Brown, directing: Al Muller, Bob Higgins, Don Jacoby and Jimmy [..]
“Skyliner” Composed by Charlie Barnet; arranged by Billy Moore. Recorded by Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra for Decca on August 3, 1944 in Los Angeles. Charlie Barnet, soprano and tenor saxophones; directing: Jack Mootz, first [..]
“The Faithful Hussar” Composed by Heinrich Frantzen; arranged by Johnny Keating. Recorded by Ted Heath and His Music for Decca on May 13, 1956 in London, England. Ted Heath, directing: Bobby Pratt, first trumpet; Bert [..]
“Blue Flame” Composed by Joe Bishop; arranged by Joe Bishop and James “Jiggs” Noble. Recorded by Woody Herman and His Orchestra for Decca on February 13, 1941 in New York. Woody Herman, clarinet, directing: Johnny [..]
“Wrappin’ It Up” (“The Lindy Glide”) Composed and arranged by Fletcher Henderson. Recorded by Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra for Decca on September 12, 1934 in New York. Fletcher Henderson directing: Russell “Pop” Smith, first [..]
“You’re My Thrill” Composed by Jay Gourney (music) and Sidney Clare (lyric); arranged by Bud Estes. Recorded by Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra for Bluebird on January 7, 1941 in New York. Charlie Barnet, soprano [..]
“Trees” Composed by Oscar Rasbach, arranged by Abe (later Glenn) Osser. Recorded by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra for Victor on December 23, 1937 in New York. Bunny Berigan, first and solo trumpet; directing: Steve Lipkins [..]
“A Smooth One” Composed by Benny Goodman; head arrangement. Recorded by the Benny Goodman and His Sextet for Columbia on March 13, 1941 in New York. Benny Goodman, clarinet, directing: Cootie Williams, trumpet; Georgie Auld, [..]
“Naked City” Composed and arranged by Raymond Scott. Recorded by Raymond Scott and His Orchestra for Swing House in January of 1956 in New York. The story: Raymond Scott (real name Harry Warnow, 1908-1994), was [..]
“Mysterioso” Composed and arranged by Artie Shaw.(*) Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five for Victor in Hollywood on August 2, 1945. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Roy Eldridge, trumpet; Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa, piano; Barney [..]
“A String of Pearls” Composed by Jerry Gray; arranged by Billy Maxted. Recorded by Billy Maxted and His Manhattan Jazz Band for Liberty probably in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1967. Billy Maxted, piano, directing: Bob [..]
“Dizzier and Dizzier” (aka “Katy”) Composed and arranged by Gerald Wilson. Recorded by Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra for RCA Victor on May 6, 1949 in Chicago. John B. “Dizzy” Gillespie, trumpet, directing: Benny Harris [..]
“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 [..]
“Honeysuckle Rose” Composed by Thomas “Fats” Waller; arranged by Fletcher Henderson. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra for Columbia on November 22, 1939 in New York. Benny Goodman, clarinet, directing: Ziggy Elman, first and [..]
“Downstream” Composed by H. Lawrence, B. Nieson and Jay Milton; arranged by Joe Lippman. Recorded by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra for Victor on March 15, 1938. Bunny Berigan, trumpet, directing: Steve Lipkins, first trumpet, [..]
“Blue Rhapsody” Composed by Bill Challis and Paul Rickey; arranged by Bill Challis. Recorded by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra for Decca on February 14, 1946 in New York. Glen Gray directing: Ray [..]
“Boogie Blues” Composed and arranged by Gene Krupa and Remo “Ray” Biondi. The lyric is a traditional blues. Recorded by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra for Columbia on August 21, 1945 in New York. Gene [..]
Composed and arranged by Jerry Gray. Recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra for Bluebird on April 28, 1940 in New York. Glenn Miller, trombone, directing: John Best, first trumpet; Rubin “Zeke” Zarchy, Clyde Hurley, [..]
“The Mooche” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra for Brunswick on October 17, 1928 in New York. Edward K. “Duke” Ellington, piano, directing: Arthur Whetsel [..]
“Smoke Dreams” Composed by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed; arranged by Jimmy Mundy. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra for Victor on December 9, 1936 in New York. Benny Goodman, clarinet, directing: Harry [..]
“Boogie Woogie Maxixe” Composed by Gil Rodin; arranged by Julian “Matty” Matlock. Recorded by Bob Crosby and His Orchestra for Decca on August 29, 1939 in New York. Matty Matlock, clarinet, directing: Billy Butterfield, first [..]
“Frenesi” Composed by Alberto Dominguez Borras; arranged by William Grant Still. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for Victor on March 3, 1940 in Hollywood. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Charlie Margulis, first trumpet; Manny [..]
“In a Mellotone” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra for Victor on September 5, 1940 in Chicago. Edward K. “Duke” Ellington, piano, directing: Wallace Jones, first trumpet; Cootie [..]
“Boogie Woogie” Composed by Clarence “Pinetop” Smith; arranged by Deane Kincaide. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Victor on September 16, 1938 in New York. Tommy Dorsey, first and solo trombone, directing: Charlie [..]
“Shadows” Composed by Frankie Carle; arranged by Jerry Gray. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for RCA Bluebird on November 9, 1939 in New York. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing Harry Geller, first trumpet; Bernie [..]
“Lullaby of Birdland” Composed and arranged by George Shearing. Recorded by the George Shearing Quintet for MGM on July 17, 1952 in New York. George Shearing, piano, directing: Richard “Dick” Garcia, guitar; Joe Roland, vibraphone; [..]
“It’s Time to Jump and Shout” Composed and arranged by Eddie Durham. Recorded by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra for Vocalion on January 5, 1940 in New York. Jimmie Lunceford, directing: Eugene “Snooky” Young, first [..]
“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” Composed by Harold Arlen; arranged by Bob Haggart. Recorded by Bob Crosby and His Orchestra for Decca on February 8, 1937 in New York. Bob Haggart, bass, [..]
“Roll ‘Em” Composed and arranged by Mary Lou Williams. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra for Victor on July 7, 1937 in Hollywood, California. Benny Goodman, clarinet; directing: Harry James, first and solo trumpet; [..]