Where Swing is King!
“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 [..]
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 [..]
“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 [..]
“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; [..]
“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, [..]
“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 [..]
“Happy-Go-Lucky Local” Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington, with probable revisions in Duke’s original arrangement by Mercer Ellington. Recorded by Mercer Ellington with The Duke Ellington Orchestra for Fantasy on May 12, 1975 in New [..]
“Everything Happens to Me” Composed by Matt Dennis and Tom Adair; arranged by Axel Stordahl. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Victor on February 7, 1941 in New York. Thomas Francis Dorsey, Jr., [..]
“Big Noise From Winnetka” Composed by Bob Haggart and Ray Bauduc Recorded by Bob Haggart and Ray Bauduc for Decca on October 14, 1938 in Chicago. Bob Haggart, bass and whistling; Ray Bauduc, drums. The [..]
“Cherry Juice” Composed and arranged by Thad Jones. Recorded by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra for Horizon on January 10, 1976. Thad Jones, flugelhorn, directing: Al Porcino, first trumpet; Sinclair Acey, Waymon Reed,Cecil Bridgewater, trumpets; [..]
Dr. Funk Makes a House Call The story: Although I was fortunate to have a father who exposed me to swing music when I was a child, my awareness of mainstream jazz came when I [..]
“Blues in Hoss’ Flat” Composed and arranged by Frank Foster. Recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra for Roulette on April 28, 1958 in New York City. William J. “Count” Basie, piano, directing: Eugene “Snooky” [..]
The story: The summer and fall of 1945 were challenging times for Artie Shaw, the bandleader. After an extensive cross-country tour with his band that lasted from late 1944 until March 15, 1945, he and [..]
“White Christmas” Composed by Irving Berlin. Recorded by Barbra Streisand for Columbia in September 1967 in Los Angeles. The story: Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” was used in the 1942 Paramount film, Holiday Inn, starring Bing Crosby [..]
“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: [..]
Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra live over the NBC radio network, June 1, 1940 Astor (Hotel) Roof, New York City. “Hallelujah!” Composed by Vincent Youmans; Arranged by Sy Oliver. Tommy Dorsey, first and solo trombone; [..]
“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,Stan Fishelson, Marky [..]
More Music by Gershwin I continue my tribute to the music of George Gershwin by presenting a superb 1964 performance of his Piano Prelude 2 in a magnificent arrangement by John Woehrmann, for trombone virtuoso Buddy [..]
“You Go to My Head” composed by J. Fred Coots (music) and Haven Gillespie (lyric); arranged by Johnny Watson. Recorded by Jan Savitt and His Top Hatters for RCA Bluebird in New York on [..]
“Harlem Speaks” Composed by Duke Ellington; arranged by Andy Gibson. Recorded by Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra for RCA-Bluebird on August 14, 1941 in Hollywood, California. Charlie Barnet, alto saxophone, directing: Seymour “Sy” Baker, first [..]
“Boo-Wah Boo-Wah” Composed by Larry Clinton; arranged by Buster Harding Recorded by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra for OKeh Records on August 5, 1940 in New York City. Cab Calloway, vocal, directing: Mario Bauza, [..]