Sundays with Duke #44: Billy's Passion

We’re still sitting chronologically in 1944 with Duke Ellington, but although our next record was first released that year, it was actually recorded in 1941. It's Billy Strayhorn’s exquisite ballad Passion Flower.

The First Bloom

Here it is as recorded for Bluebird in 1941 by a Johnny Hodges‑led Ellington unit:

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve used Johnny, alto, and gorgeous in the same sentence — yet here we are again!

Traanscription Takes

Duke began featuring the song in concert after the Hodges record was released, but he never cut a full‑band studio version for Victor in the 1940s. Instead, Passion Flower lived in the margins of the era — in the transcription studios.

First is this 1945 take for the World Broadcasting Service:

And here’s the 1946 version for the Capitol transcription service:

Billy Strayhorn sits in on piano for both of these non‑commercial recordings — always a treat to hear him inside his own harmony.

Just Jazz

We jump ahead to 1952 for a lovely version from Capitol's The Just Jazz All Stars Featuring Louis Bellson:

It’s practically an Ellington family photo: Clark Terry, Juan Tizol, Harry Carney, Willie Smith, Wendell Marshall and Billy Strayhorn himself, joined by Wardell Gray on tenor and John Graas on French horn. Louis Bellson, then Duke’s drummer, anchors the proceedings.

Duke’s Trio

Duke returned to the tune in 1953 for this trio reading, included on The Duke Plays Ellington:

A quiet, elegant take — Duke letting Strayhorn’s melody breathe.

Blue Bloom

Another full‑band version followed in 1956 for the Blue Rose album on Columbia:

This track didn’t include an overdubbed Rosemary Clooney vocal, since the tune didn’t yet have lyrics.

Nancy Sings

Lyrics eventually arrived courtesy of Milt Raskin, and Nancy Wilson was the first to record a vocal version for her 1960 Capitol album Like in Love:

Milt plays piano on this non‑Ellington track, conducted by Billy May, while Willie Smith channels Johnny Hodges.

Ella's Take

Now that Passion Flower had lyrics, Ella Fitzgerald recorded a vocal version with Duke for their 1966 collaboration Ella at Duke’s Place:

Very nice — and Johnny’s alto is as smooth as ever.

Private Passion

Let's go back to 1962 for this instrumental arrangement that the band recorded in 1962, with Billy back at the piano:

A private recording, financed by Duke, unreleased at the time.

Billy’s Own Final Word

As I like to do with a Strayhorn tune, let’s let Billy himself close the chapter — with this intimate cut from his 1963 United Artists album The Peaceful Side:

Always a gift to hear Billy in a quiet room, playing something that bloomed from his own hands.

Twenty-Five Years of Bloom

So we’ve traced more than two decades of Passion Flower — a melody that kept unfolding, kept deepening, kept finding new colors.

Billy planted it, and the world kept tending it.

Happy Halloween!

🎃 Happy Halloween — Spike Style!

In keeping with the situation, let’s spike things up with both sides of a wonderfully ghoulish Spike Jones 45 rpm single from 1959 on Warner Bros. Records.

Side A: (I Was a) Teenage Brain Surgeon

The label credits the vocal to “Jack the Ripper” — obviously a gag — but that booming, cavernous basso profundo is unmistakably Thurl Ravenscroft.

It’s a pitch‑perfect spoof of the era’s seemingly ubiquitous “I Was a Teenage Whatever” craze, and Spike leans into the absurdity with gusto.

Side B: Monster Movie Ball

Flip the disc and you get this straight‑up rock‑and‑roll romp. The vocalist is credited as “The Fiend‑Ager” — a pun so bad it loops back around to brilliant — but the real singer, Ken Stevens, is also credited.

I’ve always thought this one was a terrific tune: all the classic movie monsters cleverly woven into the lyrics, with Peter Lorre standing out as the only actor name‑checked directly. A tiny but delightful detail.

Spike vs. Rock ’n’ Roll

I seem to recall Spike once saying rock and roll was ruining his career — something to the effect that you can’t parody something that’s already a mess. So if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em… and record a rock‑and‑roll song!

Both tracks come from Spike Jones in Stereo (1959), a concept album full of monsters, creeps, and Halloween‑friendly mayhem. The title may be generic, but the cover art gives the game away instantly!

I’ve had that album for as long as I can remember — since I Was a Teenage Record Collector — and these two cuts were always my favorites. So when I later came across the single coupling them — credited to Spike Jones and his Sickniks — I thought, “Good idea, Warners!”

🎃 Have a great Halloween!

Now I want to watch I Was a Teenage Werewolf!

Monday Side-Session – Now We Know

For today’s side-session, we're taking a look at the contemporary covers of the lovely Duke Ellington-Bob Russell standard I Didn’t Know About You. I rounded up ten versions, all from 1944-45, so let's start spinning.

Jo Knows

Every label seemed to want a piece of this song, and the first release out of the gate was Jo Stafford's version on Capitol, backed by The Pied Pipers and Paul Weston:

What a wonderful record. Jo is simply the greatest. It's always a treat hearing her with The Pied Pipers, including June Hutton, Jo's successor in the group.

Lena Learns

We heard Lena Horne sing the song with Duke on a radio aircheck yesterday, and here she is again with her Victor recording:

Horace Henderson supplies the backing. Another winner!

Counting on Thelma

Columbia handed the song over to Count Basie, who features vocalist Thelma Carpenter:

I really like this one. Then again, you'll probably hear me say that more than once today!

Woody Weighs In

The other major label of the era, Decca, wasn't about to be left out, so here's Woody Herman:

This song fits Woody like a glove. He could really sing, not just sing surprisingly well for a bandleader.

Billie Believes

Let's move on to a couple of smaller labels, starting with female trumpeter/vocalist Billie Rogers on Musicraft:

Billie was a genuine trailblazer. Before leading her own band, she spent time with Woody Herman and proved she was much more than a novelty act.

Boyd's Band

Next up is Boyd Raeburn with vocalist Don Darcy on Guild:

Boyd is usually remembered for his progressive and adventurous arrangements, but this record shows his band could settle into a ballad quite nicely when the occasion called for it.

Hit Paraders

For a more traditional approach, here's Jerry Wayne backed by Mark Warnow on Sonora:

At the time, Jerry and Mark were familiar to listeners from radio's Your Hit Parade, and this recording came from a tie-in album connected with the program.

Weir It's At

Now let's cross the Atlantic for this British Decca version by Frank Weir and Anne Lenner:

Another lovely rendition.

Frank and his septet also appeared in the classic British horror anthology Dead of Night in 1945. Since Halloween is in a couple of days, I think I may need to pull that one off the shelf again.

Czeching In

V. Irmanov has serious style!

While we're overseas, let's stay on the continent for this Czech recording on Supraphon by Karel Vlach and vocalist Václav Irmanov:

Wow, that's delightful - I'm getting a strong Glenn Miller feel from the arrangement, and the phonetically sung English vocal has a charm all its own.

More from Mildred

We come back to the States to wrap things up with an aircheck of the wonderful Mildred Bailey:

Paul Baron conducts, and it's yet another lovely reading of the song.

So now we know: everybody knew about I Didn't Know About You!

Sundays with Duke #43: We Didn't Know

📀 July ’42: Victor’s Last Pre‑Ban Spin

Still in 1942 with Duke Ellington, we land on July 28 for his last Victor session before the recording ban started.

That session yielded the lovely Ellington composition Sentimental Lady.

Let’s spin it:

Another showcase for the gorgeous alto of Johnny Hodges. Rex Stewart adds a nice little cornet solo as well.

📈 Hit Parade Surprise

Due to the recording ban, Victor delayed the release of the record until August 1943, which was a smart move — it topped the (then‑titled) Harlem Hit Parade!

✏️ We Didn't Know This Title

As with many popular melodies written by Duke, this one acquired lyrics (by Don George) and became the pop standard I Didn’t Know About You.

I’ve always thought it interesting that the title was changed — Sentimental Lady feels like such a quintessential Ellington name.

🎙️ 1944: Joya Steps to the Mic

Once Victor settled with the musicians’ union in late 1944, Duke and the band recorded the new vocal version on their first session.

Let’s spin that record featuring Joya Sherrill:

A lovely record — from Joya’s debut recording session with the band — and yes, I’ll admit it again: I have a retro‑crush on Joya!

Duke’s band didn’t undergo as many personnel changes as most bands during the recording gap, but Ben Webster, Rex Stewart, Juan Tizol and Ivie Anderson had all left, with Joya, Cat Anderson, Taft Jordan and Al Sears among the new members.

📻 Lena & Duke for the Troops

An interesting version of I Didn’t Know About You comes from a January 1945 episode of the AFRS radio series Jubilee.

Host Ernie “Bubbles” Whitman will explain:

Lena Horne + Duke for the troops — that’s the kind of morale boost you can hear in the air!

But did Ernie call Lena Butterball? Did that used to be a compliment?

🎤 Ella Gives It Wings

Duke continued to feature the song for a while, but seems to have moved away from it after Joya left the band.

But it got a huge boost in 1957 when Ella Fitzgerald joined Duke and the band for this cut from the Duke Ellington Songbook on Verve:

Those sessions are truly a treasure. And how wonderful to hear Johnny’s alto kick off the track!

🎼 Back to Instrumental Roots

Moving to 1959, Duke brought the tune back to its instrumental roots for this version from the sessions for the Columbia album Blues in Orbit:

This was unreleased at the time, but later showed up as a bonus track in the 1980s. Good thing — it’s a wonderful reunion for Johnny and the melody.

🌹 A Lady Revealed

If we didn’t know about the sentimental lady, we sure do now — Joya, Lena and Ella are all very convincing!

Monday Side‑Session: Hoppin’ to the River

You may have noticed from the label above that the V‑Disc featuring Duke Ellington’s Main Stem leads off with another Ellington number — Hop, Skip, Jump.

Jumpin' with Johnny

That tune was recorded in November 1943. Let’s spin it:

A nice mid‑tempo feature for Johnny Hodges’ alto sax, the band played it on radio and in live appearances, but never got the chance to record a studio version for Victor because of the recording ban.

Same Tune, New Locality

Things take an interesting turn in 1946, when Duke finally gets the chance to record the tune — but now it has a new name: Rockabye River.

As far as I can tell, this recording was only issued in the U.S. as the lead side in the Victor album Esquire’s All American Hot Jazz Volume 2 in 1947. Let’s spin it:

The tune gets a bit of a makeover, but it still functions as a showcase for Johnny — who gets label credit — while adding some wonderfully brassy growl trumpet from Cat Anderson.

Another Day, Another Arrangement

But wait, there’s more: Duke and the band recorded another version of the tune — still under the Rockabye River title — for the Capitol Transcription service just a couple of days after the 1946 Victor session.

Let’s spin that one:

A shorter arrangement, still centered on Johnny’s alto, with perhaps even more of Cat’s growl trumpet cutting through.

The tune seems to fade into the sunset by 1948 after a handful of additional live performances, but we’re left with these three distinct recordings — each one a slightly different angle on the same Ellington gem.

Warehouse Whispers

I’m presuming Victor didn’t release Rockabye River in 1946 for whatever internal reason, but eventually decided it would be a strong selling point to include a “new” Ellington side in the Esquire set.

It also shows the embarrassment of riches in the Ellington catalog. A recording that would be a highlight for virtually any other band was just another day at the office for Duke!

Sundays with Duke #42: Mainly Riffin’

 

We’re still in 1942 as we land on another classic Duke Ellington recording — Main Stem.

The "Main" Event

Let’s spin Duke’s Victor recording from June 26, 1942:

That’s quite a parade of soloists: Rex Stewart, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Barney Bigard, Tricky Sam Nanton, Ben Webster, and Lawrence Brown — all riding tight, deceptively simple riffs. It’s one of those sides where the band’s internal chemistry feels almost unfair.

This particular record had an interesting journey. It was cut close to the deadline imposed by the looming musicians’ strike, and Victor was already stockpiling material to ration during the recording freeze. Main Stem wasn’t released until 1944, but when it finally saw daylight, it became a huge hit!

V-Disc Special

In the meantime, Duke recorded a separate version in 1943 for V‑Disc:

Another terrific performance — this time with Jimmie Hamilton taking the clarinet solo, as Barney Bigard had left the band shortly after the earlier Victor session.

Classic, But Not a Standard

Duke and the band kept Main Stem in regular rotation throughout the 1940s, but other bands didn’t pick up on it. The recording ban certainly didn’t help, but more likely, it’s because this is a riff piece built to showcase soloists — and what other band could possibly roll out a lineup like this? Spoiler: none.

Rex Riffs Abroad

We do have one Ellington‑adjacent version, though: a 1948 Danish recording featuring Rex Stewart backed by French pianist Claude Bolling:

That’s pretty cool — a little continental detour with Rex still sounding unmistakably Rex.

A Return Visit

I think the only time Duke returned to Main Stem in the studio was in 1960 for his Piano in the Background album on Columbia:

It’s like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen in years — the same, but different, familiar yet reframed.

Warehouse Whispers

I feel Main Stem was unintentionally helped by the recording ban. The delayed release reduced competition, and we ended up with a separate V‑Disc version.

You just never know!

Friday Fun: Still Jammin’

Let’s have a little fun with a few more versions of Duke Ellington’s C‑Jam Blues.

The first couple of non‑Ellington recordings were on V‑Discs, those non‑commercial records made for service men and women.

Hazel Hits It

First up is the wonderful Hazel Scott on piano, backed by legendary drummer “Big Sid” Catlett in 1943:

Hazel is really having a blast, and I always love when a V‑Disc includes a little spoken intro from the artist. It makes the whole thing feel like a postcard from the studio.

The Navy Swings It

Glenn Miller greets Sam

The next V‑Disc is from tenor man Sam Donahue and his Navy band:

Those service bands had some great musicians, and it’s great to hear this swing treatment of the song in an extended arrangement.

The RAF Joins In

Also from 1945, we have a commercial record on British Decca by The Squadronaires:

Drawn from the Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra, the Squadronaires give the Americans a run for their money!

Capitol Cowboys

For an entirely different take on C‑Jam Blues, let’s jump to 1952 for Western Swing bandleader Ole Rasmussen’s Capitol side:

Definitely inspired by Bob Wills — and that’s always a good thing. The tune wears a cowboy grin here!

A Country Club Curveball

For even more of a wild card, let’s move to 1960 for this version by Homer and Jethro from their RCA Victor album At the Country Club:

That was actually my introduction to the tune way back in the day. Jethro’s astounding mandolin is the highlight for me, as always. Saxist Boots Randolph is also featured. Jethro refers to the band as Boots Randolph and the Carroll County Car‑Strippers at one point!

That’s an absolutely terrific album for Homer and Jethro fans, by the way.

Free, Frantic, Funky

Since we dipped into the 1960s, let’s sneak in one more version — here’s organist Wild Bill Davis with this cut from his 1965 RCA Victor album Free, Frantic and Funky:

That’s definitely all three of those adjectives!

Hope you had fun continuing the jamming!

Warehouse Whispers

I always find title variations of songs to be intriguing. This one started as “C” Blues on the original Barney Bigard recording in 1941, became The “C” Jam Blues for Duke’s 1942 record, then alternately “C” Jam Blues, C Jam Blues, or C‑Jam Blues, having lost the “the” somewhere along the way!