Following yesterday’s Duke Ellington classic In a Mellotone, we stay right in 1940 for a Victor 78 that carries two of Duke’s most vivid little city‑scenes. Both sides deserve their moment in the spotlight.
Side A: Sepia Panorama
Billy Strayhorn shaped the evocative arrangement with Duke, and the band paints in alternating strokes: Juan Tizol’s velvet valve‑trombone, Harry Carney’s deep‑toned baritone, Cootie Williams’ growl trumpet and Ben Webster’s unmistakable warm tenor. Underneath it all, Jimmie Blanton threads those typically brilliant bass passages—little bursts of invention that seem to tilt the whole piece forward.
Side B: Harlem Air‑Shaft
Barney Bigard slips in a couple of gracefully gliding clarinet spots, and Tricky Sam Nanton brings his signature plunger trombone murmur. Cootie switches to open trumpet here—no mute, just that bright, ringing tone for his main solo, but he sneaks a little muted trumpet bit in between Barney's solos.
Duke once explained the title: an air shaft in a Harlem apartment building was like a neighborhood radio—carrying the sounds of people cooking, arguing, singing, laughing. Everyday life drifting upward in fragments.
Two Vignettes of 1940 Harlem
Taken together, Sepia Panorama and Harlem Air‑Shaft feel like companion pieces—two quick, vivid sketches of Harlem life in 1940. Duke’s orchestra wasn’t just playing dance music; they were capturing the atmosphere of a place, a moment, a community — all filtered through one of the most inventive orchestras ever assembled. They matter because they’re not just performances; they’re portraits.
We’re still parked in 1940 with Duke Ellington, and we’ve hit another classic:In a Mellotone.
Let’s spin the original Victor recording:
Johnny Hodges and Cootie Williams are in peak form — Cootie even slips in a sly quote from Never No Lament at the tail end of his solo — but it’s Jimmie Blanton’s bass that steals the spotlight. His lines practically glow.
From Mellotone to Mellow Tone
Duke kept the tune in the band’s book throughout the 1940s, but the song found a second life in the 1950s when producer Milt Gabler added lyrics and nudged the title toward the now-familiar In a Mellow Tone.
Milt had The Mills Brothers record it for Decca in 1955 with Sy Oliver arranging:
It’s a delight — how can you beat the Mills/Oliver combination?
Funny that it took fifteen years for someone to add lyrics — the melody practically chants “in a mellow tone” on its own.
Ella Steps In
Once lyrics existed, Ella Fitzgerald naturally grabbed the tune for her 1957 Duke Ellington Songbook album — one of my favorite playgrounds:
Ella stretches out beautifully here, weaving between the written lyrics and her trademark scat. And yes, Ben Webster is still along for the ride, adding that warm velvet to the edges.
Duke Revisits the Instrumental
Duke circled back to the tune in 1960 for his Columbia album Blues in Orbit, keeping it strictly instrumental:
By this point, the “Mellow Tone” title had fully overtaken the original “Mellotone” spelling — the mellow won.
Louis Joins the Party
Duke recorded another instrumental version in 1961 with Louis Armstrong on Recording Together for the First Time — another favorite playground:
It’s interesting that Louis doesn’t sing the lyrics — even though they existed by then — yet he scats on Cotton Tail, which didn’t have lyrics. Satchmo gonna Satchmo.
And just to keep us on our toes, the label lists the tune as In a Mellowtone!
Here's a link to Duke and Louis performing the song in 1961 on The Ed Sullivan Show:
It's great that so many Sullivan shows were preserved so we can enjoy seeing these wonderful artists!
Betty's Baby
As far as I can tell, Duke never recorded a version using Milt Gabler’s lyrics. But things get wonderfully twisty when we get to Betty Roché, whose specialty with the Ellington band featured a totally different set of lyrics.
Here’s a 1953 live recording of Betty singing the Baby, You and Me variant:
The announcer mentions the lyrics and title change at the beginning and says it's "soon to be released" at the end — but I can't figure out what release he's referring to!
As far as I can tell, Duke never cut a studio version of that variation, but Betty did — for Bethlehem in 1956:
And here’s the fun part: Bethlehem kept the title In a Mellow Tone and even credited Milt Gabler, despite the lyrics being completely different. I’m guessing Milt didn’t write both sets… but you know we love a little label intrigue!
Billy Brings the Moves
We close out with a wonderfully wacky take on the tune, as Billy May turns it into a cha‑cha for his 1960 Capitol album Cha Cha!:
Billy was well‑known for his sense of humor, and it absolutely shows here — the arrangement is playful, brassy, and just a little mischievous. And what a good sport he was to pose for the album cover in that get‑up. The man committed to the bit!
Whatever the Title…
Whether it’s Mellotone, Mellow Tone, Mellowtone or even Baby, You and Me, one thing stays constant — the tone is mellow!
Today marks the centennial of master satirist Stan Freberg (1926-2015), born 100 years ago and still one of the sharpest, funniest minds ever to hit a recording studio.
So let’s celebrate the man properly — by spinning his biggest hit, the immortal Dragnet spoof St. George and the Dragonet, released on Capitol in 1953.
That record is an absolute jewel: a full comedy sketch disguised as a single, packed with Freberg’s layered gags, timing, and that deadpan Dragnet delivery.
It was so wildly popular that it actually hit number one on the Billboard singles chart — almost unheard‑of for a spoken‑word novelty record.
And since the flipside, Little Blue Riding Hood, was also a crowd‑pleaser, we’re not leaving it behind. Let's flip the disc and spin it:
I’m a lifelong novelty‑record nut, and Freberg sits right at the top of the mountain for me. His records aren’t just jokes — they’re miniature audio plays, built with precision, running gags, and a whole cast of characters ably brought to life with the assistance of Stan's coconspirators Daws Butler and June Foray — two of the best voice actors in the biz. You can listen ten times and still catch new details.
Word has it that Jack Webb — "Sgt. Friday"himself — was a fan and got a kick out of Freberg’s Dragnet spoofs. Here’s the Billboard ad that says so:
And since Jack also gives a nod to Ray Anthony’s Capitol recording of theDragnettheme — also from 1953 — we’re absolutely spinning that next:
And because we don’t do loose ends around here, we’re flipping Ray's disc too. The B‑side is his take on the standard Dancing in the Dark:
Turns out that side was part of Downbeat Magazine’s National Dance Week Promotion, which is exactly the kind of mid‑century ephemera I live for.
If Downbeat says dance, I’m dancing!
Lots going on at the Capitol Tower in 1953 — and that's the facts.
From yesterday’s The Bunny Hop, we keep tugging the Ray Anthony thread with another early‑1950s confection — Marilyn, Ray’s tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
Let’s spin Ray’s 1952 Capitol record featuring Tommy Mercer and The Skyliners:
A cute little number, and a perfect time capsule from an era when blonde‑bombshell movie stars and handsome, trumpet‑playing bandleaders were the very definition of show‑biz glamour!
I don’t think Ray and Marilyn were ever romantically involved, but if any bandleader had a shot, it would’ve been Ray. My mother used to say he was the only handsome bandleader — and she said it with conviction!
And considering Ray later married Mamie Van Doren, we can safely say MM was very much his type!
To keep the 1950s Marilyn mania going — while also picking up the mambo thread from yesterday — here’s a 1954 blast from Perez Prado on RCA Victor:
For today's WAW, from Sunday’s Cotton Tail, it’s a short hop to a bunny — and an even shorter hop to The Bunny Hop!
🐇 Hoppin' In
Let’s start with co-songwriter Ray Anthony’s big Capitol hit from late 1952, featuring vocalists Tommy Mercer and Marcie Miller:
A lot of fun — pure early‑’50s party energy!
Capitol knew they had something, so in early 1953 Ray cut an instrumental version:
Also fun — and to me, that’s the definitive version. I knew the instrumental for years and didn’t even realize there had been a vocal take until it popped up on a Ray Anthony CD compilation in the early 1990s.
🎹 Duke … Doing What Now?
Capitol wasn’t done hopping. In 1954, they had Duke Ellington — of all people — record — of all things —Bunny Hop Mambo:
I can totally understand Capitol’s A&R folks thinking it’d be clever to combine two crazes of the moment — Mambo and The Bunny Hop — but I still can’t wrap my head around why they handed it to Duke Ellington.
Still, it’s a fun record, played with absolute precision by the band. Only Ellington could make a novelty‑mambo hybrid sound like a fully professional chart.
But it's like two of my worlds colliding!
🤠 Hepcats Hop In
If you look closely at the fine print on the EP cover at the top, you’ll see Capitol had another Bunny Hop up their sleeve: a 1953 version by Cliffie Stone and his Hometown Hepcats:
That one’s also a blast — a Western Swing vibe filtered through Capitol’s pop‑novelty lens.
📺 Bonus Hop: Ray on TV
For a little extra fun, here’s Ray Anthony performing the tune on his TV show:
Since we’ve been enjoying Duke Ellington classics from 1940 — including yesterday’s Cotton Tail— the first year of Duke’s new Victor contract, I thought today’s Side‑Session could rewind to what was literally the band’s first session for Victor...
It took place on March 6, yielding masters of five different tunes. The date shows off the band’s versatility and gives space for the vocalists and sidemen to shine.
“You, You Darlin’”
This was Herb Jeffries’ first recorded vocal with the band. He's obviously a polished professional, bringing another level of sophistication to the table.
Herb was Duke’s first regularly featured male vocalist, paving the way for Al Hibbler and later Jimmie Grissom.
Billy Strayhorn’s lovely arrangement gives solo spots to Ben Webster on tenor and Lawrence Brown on trombone.
“Jack the Bear”
A complete shift in direction. Duke’s arrangement gives generous space to the astounding Jimmie Blanton, who opens and closes the tune with those unmistakable bass lines. Barney Bigard on clarinet and Tricky Sam Nanton on trombone deliver their usual rock‑solid solos.
“Ko‑Ko”
Jimmie and Tricky Sam keep the momentum going here. I also love Juan Tizol’s valve trombone repeating the main melody — hearing the distinct trombone personalities of Juan, Tricky Sam, and Lawrence Brown across different records is one of the joys of this era.
“Morning Glory"
A perfect showcase for Rex Stewart’s cornet — the tune fits him like a glove.
Morning Glory was paired with Jack the Bear on the original single release. A very good deal for fans!
“So Far, So Good”
Another non‑Ellington pop tune arranged by Strayhorn, this time featuring Ivie Anderson. She delivers another typically strong vocal, and Harry Carney adds a warm baritone sax solo.
This one was paired with You, You Darlin’ on the two sides of the 78‑rpm single. These pop tunes highlight the band’s versatility and provide a nice contrast to the justly celebrated instrumental originals.
Bonus Flip Side — “Conga Brava”
Since Ko‑Ko didn’t get a platter partner on March 6, let’s not leave it stranded! Its flip side was Conga Brava, recorded nine days later.
The title alone tells you Juan Tizol must have collaborated, and you can hear his valve trombone throughout. Barney, Ben and Rex also get solo space.
A Six‑Tune Snapshot
Quite a variety across these six sides — lots of great solos, lots of personality. And we only heard Cootie Williams briefly on Jack the Bear, while Johnny Hodges didn’t get a solo on any of them. That’s how deep the band was!
Warehouse Whispers
There may be a very good reason why Morning Glory fit Rex Stewart so well...
The story goes that Rex actually composed the melody, but lost it to Duke in a poker game. True or not, it’s a great tale!
Staying in 1940 with Duke Ellington, we flip over last week’s Victor disc of Never No Lament (Don’t Get Around Much Anymore) and land on another stone‑cold classic — Cotton Tail.
Ben Barges In
This side was essentially Ben Webster’s coming‑out party with the Ellington orchestra. Duke had never truly featured a tenor sax soloist before Ben arrived, and Cotton Tail became the perfect vehicle for his huge, urgent, modern sound.
Let’s spin it:
Forward‑thinking for 1940, influential for generations, and still fresh 86 years later.
Ben in Motion: The “Hot Chocolate” Soundie
Here’s the fun Soundie Hot Chocolate, showing Ben and the band tearing it up on camera:
Some fancy jitterbugging going on, too!
You may also notice that the title card shows the name of the song as "Cottontail," following the Stardust/Moonglow route!
Before Ben: No Tenor Stars
As I mentioned, it's fascinating that before Webster joined, Duke’s band had no featured tenor sax soloist. Barney Bigard played tenor in the section but took his solos on clarinet. Once Ben arrived, Duke always kept a tenor star on the roster — and each got their crack at Cotton Tail.
As an example, here’s Al Sears giving it his own spin on a 1945 aircheck:
That's an interesting bit from the announcer about the tunes title — I wonder if it's true!
A Tenor‑less Twist: Billy Strayhorn Trio (1951)
One of the most unusual versions is this 1951 Mercer label recording by the Billy Strayhorn Trio — no tenor sax at all:
Just Duke and Billy sharing piano duties, with Wendell Marshall on bass. A completely different texture.
Ben After Duke: King of the Tenors
Of course, Ben kept “Cotton Tail” in his book long after leaving Ellington. Here’s a great 1954 take from his Norgran LP The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster(reissued asKing of the Tenorson Verve in 1957):
He really was King of the Tenors!
Ella’s Scat‑Driven Spin
The tune doesn’t naturally lend itself to lyrics, but that didn’t stop Ella Fitzgerald from recording a mostly‑scat version for her 1957 Duke Ellington Songbook album on Verve:
That’s Ben on tenor, name‑checked by Ella, with Stuff Smith on violin and Barney Kessel on guitar adding tasty solos.
Ella at Duke’s Place
Ella returned to the tune in 1966 for this great take with Duke and the band from the Verve album Ella at Duke’s Place:
Totally different vibe — Ella becomes a featured “instrument,” with the band swirling around her. Paul Gonsalves gets a brief tenor moment, and Cat Anderson fires off those trademark high‑note blasts from the trumpet section.
Here's a great video of Ella with Duke and the band also from 1966:
Paul Gonsalves gets a nice "duet" with Ella and everyone seems to be having a blast — I think Johnny Hodges even cracked a smile!
Louis Armstrong & Duke
Let’s sneak back to 1961 for a similar vocal approach by Louis Armstrong with his All Stars and Duke, from their Roulette album Recording Together for the First Time:
Satch and Duke are in fine form, and Trummy Young on trombone and Barney Bigard on clarinet are awesome!
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
We close with a full vocal version — Lambert, Hendricks & Ross from their 1960 Columbia albumSing Ellington:
This track is notable as I think it's the only version of the song with full lyrics. It’s clever and interesting, though maybe a little too cutesy for my taste. As always, your mileage may vary.
Stamped, carted and shelved — and as Ella says, "That’s Cot-ton Tail!"
