Where Swing is King!
Writings about swing by Michael P. Zirpolo and other experts that will provide a context for the music you will be hearing, and allow for a deeper understanding of the music and the people who made it.
“Ridin’ High” Composed by Cole Porter; arranged by Jimmy Mundy. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra live in performance from a CBS radio broadcast on March 4, 1937 from the Madhattan Room of Hotel [..]
“Luck Be a Lady” Composed by Frank Loesser; arranged by Billy May. Recorded by Frank Sinatra for Reprise on July 25, 1963 in Los Angeles. Frank Sinatra, singing; with Billy May, directing the orchestra (approximate [..]
“Flamingo” Composed by Ted Grouya (music) and Edmund Anderson (lyric); arranged by Billy Strayhorn. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra for Victor on December 28, 1940 in Chicago. Duke Ellington, piano, and Billy Strayhorn, [..]
“Lady Day” Composed and arranged by Jimmy Mundy. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for Victor on November 23, 1944 in Hollywood. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Ray Linn, first trumpet: Jimmy Pupa, George Schwartz [..]
“I’m in a Dancing Mood” Composed by Al Hoffman, Al Goodheart and Maurice Sigler; probably arranged by Paul Wetstein (Weston) or Dick Jones. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Victor on November 24, [..]
“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 [..]
“Dancing in the Dark” Composed by Arthur Schwartz; arranged by Lennie Hayton. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for Victor on January 21, 1941 in Hollywood. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Billy Butterfield, first trumpet [..]
“Intermezzo (A Love Story)” Composed by Heinz Provost; arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded live by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra on their CBS Chesterfield radio show on June 24, 1941 in Chicago.(*) Glenn Miller, first [..]
“It’s All in the Game” Composed by Charles Gates Dawes (music) and Carl Sigman (lyric); arranged by Gordon Jenkins. Recorded by Louis Armstrong with Gordon Jenkins for Decca on November 28, 1951 in Los Angeles. [..]
“I’m a Ding Dong Daddy (from Dumas)” Composed by Phil Baxter; head arrangement by the Benny Goodman Quartet. Recorded live from a CBS Camel Caravan radio show from the stage of the Palace Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin on [..]
“Countless Blues” Composed by Milt Gabler; arranged by Eddie Durham. Recorded by The Kansas City Six for Commodore Records on September 8,(*) 1938 in New York. Eddie Durham, electric guitar, directing: Lester Young, clarinet; Wilbur [..]
“In a Mist” Composed by Bix Beiderbecke. Recorded by Bix Beiderbecke on piano for Okeh on September 9, 1927 in New York. The story: Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931) is unquestionably one of the great early figures [..]
“Idiot’s Delight” Composed and arranged by Eddie Sauter. Recorded by Ray McKinley and His Orchestra for RCA Victor on December 29, 1947 in New York. Ray McKinley, drums, probably allowing Eddie Sauter to direct his [..]
“(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” Composed by Bobby Troup; arranged by the King Cole Trio. Recorded by the King Cole Trio for Capitol Records at Radio Recorders(*) in Los Angeles, March 15, 1946. Nat [..]
“Oh, Lady Be Good”(*) Composed by George Gershwin; probably arranged by Fletcher Henderson. Recorded live in performance by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra from a Mutual radio broadcast on March 11, 1937 from the Madhattan [..]
“Begin the Beguine” Composed by Cole Porter; arranged by Gerry Mulligan. Recorded for Verve on October 21, 1958 by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra in New York. Gene Krupa, drums, directing: Carl H. Severinsen, first [..]
“Indian Love Call” Composed by: music by Rudolph Friml; lyric by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. Arranged by Artie Shaw. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for Bluebird on July 24, 1938 in [..]
“Swing Out”/”Baltimore Bounce” “Swing Out” was composed by Erskine Hawkins and Avery Parrish. Parrish wrote the arrangement. “Baltimore Bounce” was composed by Erskine Hawkins and Sammy Lowe. Lowe wrote the arrangement. Recorded by Erskine Hawkins [..]
“The Pink Panther Theme” Composed and arranged by Henry Mancini. Recorded by Henry Mancini and His Orchestra for RCA Victor on September 16, 1963 in Hollywood. Henry Mancini, directing an orchestra of Hollywood studio musicians [..]
“My Reverie” Composed by Claude Debussy; lyric by Larry Clinton. Recorded by Larry Clinton and His Orchestra for Victor on July 16, 1938 in New York. Larry Clinton, directing: Walter Smith, Ricky Traettino and [..]
“Over the Rainbow” Composed by Harold Arlen, music; and E.Y. Harburg, lyric. Arranged by Billy May. Recorded by Ella Fitzgerald on January 15, 1961 for Verve in Hollywood. Billy May, arranger, directing: Don Fagerquist, trumpet; [..]
“Solitude” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington. Recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra for Victor on January 10, 1934 in Chicago. Duke Ellington, piano, directing: Arthur Whetsel, Freddie Jenkins, Louis Bacon and Cootie Williams, [..]
“Temptation” Composed by Nacio Herb Brown; arranged by Lennie Hayton. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for Victor on September 7, 1940 in Hollywood. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: Charles William “Billy” Butterfield, first trumpet; [..]
“Smack-a-Mac” Composed and arranged by Tom McIntosh. Recorded by James Moody and the Brass Figures for Milestone during October-November 1966 in New York. Tom McIntosh, arranger/conductor, directing: James Moody, tenor saxophone; Eugene “Snooky” Young, first [..]
“Tango Blues” Composed by Harry James; arranged by Ray Conniff. Recorded by Harry James and His Orchestra for Columbia on April 11, 1951 in Hollywood, California. Harry James, trumpet, directing: Everett McDonald, first trumpet; Dominic [..]
“To a Wild Rose” Composed by Edward MacDowell; arranged by Paul Villepigue. Recorded by Johnny Bothwell and His Orchestra for Signature in May of 1946 in New York. Johnny Bothwell, alto saxophone, directing: Paul Leichter, [..]
“Why Don’t You Do Right?” Music and lyric by Joe McCoy; arranged by Mel Powell. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra for Columbia on July 27, 1942 in New York. Benny Goodman, clarinet, directing: [..]
“The Duke’s Idea” Composed by Charlie Barnet; head arrangement by Barnet and his band. Recorded by Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra for Bluebird on September 10, 1939 in Hollywood. Charlie Barnet, alto saxophone, directing: John [..]
