Sundays with Duke #7: A "Misty Mornin'" in 1928

Today we’re spending some time with one of Duke’s more atmospheric early masterpieces: "Misty Mornin'." While we are moving into the 1929-1930 Victor era, I wanted to circle back to this specific mood piece.

Originally recorded for OKeh on November 22, 1928, this track is a masterclass in texture. While many of the Cotton Club numbers were high-energy "stomps" meant to get people on their feet, this one feels like it was written for that quiet, contemplative hour just before the sun comes up.

The Personnel

You can really hear the "Big Three" of the early Ellington brass section at work here, creating that signature "shimmer" through the fog:

• Bubber Miley on trumpet (providing that soulful, muted longing)

• Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton on trombone

• Barney Bigard on clarinet

Also of note is that trumpeter Arthur Whetsel gets co-composer credit. I’m thinking it’s another case of one of Duke’s sidemen coming up with a melodic phrase that Duke turned into a completed song.

The Vibe

There’s a specific "chill" to this record. It doesn't scream; it whispers. It’s the kind of tune that makes you want to turn up the collar of your coat and watch the fog roll in over the city. It’s also a great example of how Duke was already experimenting with orchestral colors that no one else in jazz was even thinking about in the late 20s.

[Insert Link: Duke Ellington - Misty Mornin' (1928)]

Dig Lonnie Johnson, returning one last time with a tasty guitar solo!

I’ve always felt this was one of the most underrated tunes from this era. It isn't a "shouter," but it stays with you long after the needle hits the run-out groove.

The 1929 Victor Version

Bubber Miley had left the band and was permanently replaced by Cootie Williams by the time Duke and the boys returned to the tune in May of 1929, when they recorded this version for Victor:

Note that the billing is now Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra!

How does each version hit you? Do you get misty?

The British Connection

I was able to dig up one contemporary cover of “Misty Mornin,” which was recorded by British bandleader Spike Hughes for Decca in 1930. Let’s spin that one:

Those British dance bands had it going on in the 1930s!

Bonus Sixties Saturday - Valentine's Day!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

This really will be a quick post - just long enough to listen to the great Sam Cooke with his 1961 hit Cupid on RCA Victor:

Have a great day!

Sixties Saturday: The Horn Meets the Hornet!

We’re ready for another Sixties Saturday as we pick up on last Wednesday’s “Green Hornet” theme to visit the 1966-67 TV series!

The "Monster" Trumpet

Here’s the great Al Hirt with the theme from the series on RCA Victor:

Al Hirt could play as many notes as anybody since Harry James, so he was the perfect choice for this updated, Flight of the Bumblebee inspired theme. And with backing by the great Billy May, what could be better? Billy’s arrangements always have that extra "punch" that suits a superhero theme perfectly.

The King of the 60s Dial

And I feel the need to listen to Al’s big hit recording of Java from 1964:

It’s got that catchy, finger-snapping rhythm that made it a massive hit. 

Al's propensity for pumping out tons of notes while still keeping the rhythm and melody puts him on my list of idiosyncratic trumpet players of which I'm a fan, joining Bubber Miley, Clyde McCoy, Sonny Dunham, et al.

Between the Hornet and Java, you can hear why they said: He's the King!

Friday Fun (Interrupted): It’s Friday the 13th

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Friday Fun to note that… it’s Friday the 13th!

So naturally, we have to spin our traditional favorite for such occasions: Les Brown’s 1946 Columbia recording of Bobby Troup’s Triskaidekaphobia, featuring vocalist Butch Stone.

The Sax-Section Side-Character

Butch Stone is a prime example of a big‑band side character who fascinates me - the guy with a fun nickname who ambles over from the sax section to deliver a novelty or rhythm vocal. Think:

• Butch Stone with Les Brown
• Tex Beneke with Glenn Miller
• Sully Mason with Kay Kyser
• Red Ingle with Ted Weems
• Skeets Herfurt with Tommy Dorsey and Alvino Rey
• And the definitively named Saxie Dowell with Hal Kemp

Honorable mention to some guys I like but who don’t quite qualify: Tony Pastor with Artie Shaw (played sax, but regular first name) and Skinnay Ennis with Hal Kemp (great nickname, but played drums).

And let's not forget that the greatest sax/vocal doubler of all, Louis Jordan (regular name), came to prominence with Chick Webb's band!

Butch's Evolution

Butch Stone didn't just appear in 1946; he had a solid pedigree before joining Les Brown and his Band of Renown. He first recorded with Van Alexander’s band in the late 1930s. Here’s the 1939 Varsity side Hot Dog Joe:

Even at this early point, he was a force to be reckoned with!

Butch then moved to Larry Clinton’s band in 1941 and sang on several Bluebird records, including this one, That Solid Old Man (Is Here Again):

Later in 1941, Butch joined Les Brown, and he stayed for fifty years!

The Signature Showcase

His signature song with the Band of Renown was his 1944 Columbia recording of A Good Man Is Hard to Find.

That one has always fascinated me - now I'm not saying Butch is Louis Jordan, but he takes over and gives Louis a bit of a run for his money with personality to spare!

You know, this was originally just going to be a short and simple post… but as we all know, that’s not how I work. One minute it’s Friday the 13th, the next I’m ranking sax‑section novelty vocalists!

Butch is probably thinking: I don't care if Les Brown thinks my nose is big as long as I get to hang out with Doris Day!

Friday Fun: Laughing All the Way

After enjoying The Flight of the Bumblebee on Wednesday, I realized we can’t let the week go by without one more take on the tune - this time courtesy of Spike Jones!

The Chaos: The Jones Laughing Record (1946)

Spike used it as the basis for The Jones Laughing Record, recorded for RCA Victor in 1946, and things get wacky fast.

Let’s give it a spin:

The laughter is absolutely contagious. And I love that the label credits the side to Spike Jones and his City Snickers - one of his best pun‑based band names.

The Technique: The Sneezin’ Bee (1957)

The yeoman work of ace studio trombonist Tommy Pederson (brought in as a ringer) can get lost amid the chaos. Fortunately, Spike revisited the concept in 1957 with “The Sneezin’ Bee,” included on his Verve album Dinner Music for People Who Aren’t Really Hungry.

Let’s hear that one:

That’s essentially “The Jones Laughing Record” without the laughing, giving us a chance to really appreciate Pederson’s dazzling technique.

Here’s a fun clip from Spike’s TV show showing Tommy in action — though this time pianist Frank Leightner is the designated sneezer.

We can trace the whole “laughing record” concept back to 1922, when Okeh released a German recording in the U.S. as The Okeh Laughing Record. It became a sensation and spawned countless imitators.

Let’s hear it:

More than 100 years later, it still gets you laughing along.

That record later inspired (and was included on the soundtrack of) the 1955 Walter Lantz cartoon “Sh‑h‑h‑h‑h,” directed by the legendary Tex Avery.

Let’s watch:

That was the final theatrical cartoon of Tex - my favorite cartoon director.

So tell me: how do you like your Bumblebee - with laughing or just the sneezing? Are you team giggles or team hay fever?

Threaded Thursday: A Tip of the Mask

Yesterday, we rode along with the Green Hornet and Harry James. But as any fan of the "Detroit Connection" knows, the Hornet had a very famous uncle over at WXYZ: The Lone Ranger!

The Trendle Connection

For those keeping score at home, both The Green Hornet and The Lone Ranger were brainchildren of the same production team of George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. According to WXYZ lore, Britt Reid (The Green Hornet) was the son of Dan Reid, who was the nephew of John Reid (The Lone Ranger). It’s an early example of a “shared universe,” which is beyond awesome!

The Silver Screen Cowboy

Being an aficionado of both OTR and the great Western "B" movies, I couldn't let this week go by without a nod to the "King of the Cowboys" himself. In 1938, a young Roy Rogers recorded a tribute to the masked man’s legendary stallion – Hi Yo, Silver! Let’s spin that Vocalion record:

1938 was a big year for The Lone Ranger. In addition to this song and the continuing popularity of the radio show, he was also the subject of a 15-chapter serial from Republic Pictures! It’s a cool serial, but it’s more Republic than WXYZ; apparently, Mr. Trendle was not happy with the changes made in that serial and its 1939 sequel. The Green Hornet’s serials over at Universal in 1940 are way more faithful to the radio source.

In any event, Roy Rogers was also beginning his career at Republic at the time, having transitioned from Leonard Slye (with the Sons of the Pioneers) to Dick Weston (briefly) and finally to Roy Rogers. You can read more about Roy's early career here

The Palomino Pal

It might seem funny to hear Roy Rogers singing the praises of a horse other than his famous Trigger, but I look at it as Roy "portraying" the Lone Ranger for the record.

As for the timeline, Trigger actually appeared as Maid Marian’s horse under his original name, Golden Cloud, in the 1938 Warner Bros. masterpiece The Adventures of Robin Hood! Roy did eventually record a beautiful tribute to his own horse in 1948. Let’s listen to Roy and The Sons of the Pioneers with That Palomino Pal o’ Mine on RCA Victor:

I can never get enough singing cowboy music!

Singing vs. Swinging

These records represent a vital side of the 1930s and 40s musical landscape. While the big bands were "swinging the classics," Roy was perfecting the "Singing Cowboy" style that would dominate the Saturday matinees.

Which radio-inspired "ride" do you prefer: the high-speed chase of Harry James’s "Bumblebee" or the steady gallop of Roy Rogers’s "Hi Yo, Silver"?

Word Association Wednesday: The Black Beauty Rides

Last Sunday, we were admiring Duke’s Black Beauty. Now, as far as word associations go, as a lifelong buff of Old-Time Radio (OTR), that name leads my brain straight to the sleek, supercharged, and heavily armed "Black Beauty" limousine belonging to The Green Hornet!

The OTR Connection

If you were huddled around the Philco in the late 30s or 40s, you knew that the Green Hornet’s arrival was always signaled by the frantic, buzzing strings of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Flight of the Bumblebee. For us OTR fans, hearing those opening notes meant Britt Reid (portrayed by Al Hodge) was about to go hunting for criminals with his faithful valet, Kato, in the Black Beauty. It’s fascinating how a piece of 19th-century Russian classical music became the definitive sound of American urban vigilantism, thanks to the power of the airwaves.

The Sting of the Bee

While the classical world claims it, I always think of The Flight of the Bumblebee in the Big Band field due to the stellar adaptation of the piece by trumpet star Harry James! Harry first recorded his take on the piece for the small Varsity label in 1940:

By 1941, Harry was recording for Columbia, for which he waxed a ton of big hits. He recorded a somewhat streamlined version for them, and this is the more familiar version most people would know today:

It’s fascinating to compare the two records. The Varsity side has a sort of swingy section in the middle which doesn't appear on the Columbia version. I personally love catching those little evolutionary steps in a band's arrangement!

The Trumpet Battle

I find it interesting to compare this to Sonny Dunham’s treatment of Memories of You from earlier this week. While Sonny was reaching for the stratosphere with his high notes, Harry was showing off his incredible finger dexterity and speed.

Both are masterclasses in what a trumpet can do when pushed to the absolute limit. I had mentioned that I always liked trumpet stars with idiosyncratic styles, and I’d definitely throw Harry in there. He was extremely versatile and played great jazz, but he could also lean into his circus roots when needed!

Which display of brass brilliance impresses you more: Sonny Dunham’s soaring high notes or Harry James’s lightning-fast "Bumblebee"?

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One More for the Road...

Also keeping “The Bumblebee” in the big band field was Jack Fina, the star pianist with Freddy Martin’s band, who adapted the piece into the snappy Bumble Boogie in 1946! Here are Jack and Freddy with their recording on RCA Victor:

It’s not known if Britt Reid had an opinion on that record!