Word Association Wednesday: The Stomp!

For today’s Word Association Wednesday, it was a relatively short jaunt from 1929’s Cotton Club Stomp to 1931’s “Casa Loma Stomp,” which was naturally performed by the Casa Loma Orchestra!

The Architects of Precision

Let’s listen to the band’s recording (the first of many recordings of the song) on OKeh:

That’s prime, early Casa Loma, showing off the band’s intricately arranged and performed style. Arranger Gene Gifford also composed the song and was largely responsible for the band’s signature sound.

At this point, the Casa Loma Orchestra had been incorporated for a couple of years and included longtime members Glen Gray on sax and Pee Wee Hunt on trombone. Glen was the leader but didn’t front the band as conductor yet, which is why the label doesn’t show "Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra" as future labels would.

The Casa Loma Orchestra is an early example of a white dance band performing jazz music that’s roughly comparable to what Black bands of the time were playing—although in a more “rehearsed” sounding manner than, say, Duke Ellington’s.

The "Connie’s Inn" Contrast

For an interesting contrast, let’s spin a contemporary cover version of Casa Loma Stomp by Connie’s Inn Orchestra on the budget Melotone label:

Despite the name sounding like a real band à la the Casa Loma Orchestra, Connie’s Inn Orchestra was actually a pseudonym for the great Fletcher Henderson Orchestra! At the time this was recorded, the group included the legendary Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax and future Ellington star Rex Stewart on trumpet.

It's not particularly a stretch to say that the groundwork laid by the Casa Loma band, combined with the arrangements of Fletcher Henderson, led directly to the future success of Benny Goodman and the Swing Era!

Which band makes you stomp and yell for more? Do you prefer the clockwork precision of Gifford's arrangement or the fire of the Henderson boys?

Monday Side Session: The "Mizz" Connection

Yesterday we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Cotton Club Stomp with Duke Ellington’s 1939 remake. But if you flip that 78-rpm shellac over, you find a fascinating "side sesh" story involving one of Duke’s biggest admirers: Charlie Barnet.

The B-side is a moody little number called In A Mizz, and the history behind it is a tangled web of Ellington influence.

The Duke Version (1939)

In A Mizz was actually co-written by bandleader Charlie Barnet. Charlie famously idolized Duke (once saying he’d rather have a mediocre Ellington record than a great one by anyone else), so it must have been a massive thrill for him when the Maestro decided to record his song.

Duke gave it to the incomparable Ivie Anderson, who turns "The Mizz" (slang for a miserable mood) into something hauntingly beautiful.

The Barnet Version... featuring "Ellington"

To bring the thread full circle, Charlie Barnet recorded his own version for Bluebird that same year. But here is the kicker: the vocalist on Charlie’s record was a singer named Judy Ellington!

Despite the name, she wasn't related to Duke, but having an "Ellington" sing a song by an Ellington-worshipper that Duke himself was also recording? That’s the kind of synchronicity we live for in the Warehouse.

Two different takes on "The Mizz"—one by the Master and one by the Student. Which version cures your Monday blues?

Sundays with Duke #8: Stomping at the Cotton Club

Moving into 1929 with Duke Ellington, we find Cotton Club Stomp, a tune obviously named after the famed nightclub that was home to Duke and his band at the time.

The Victor Original

Let’s listen to the initial 1929 version on Victor Records:

By this time, the band had parted ways with original trumpet star Bubber Miley, who was apparently as unreliable as he was talented. But Duke came up with a great replacement in Cootie Williams, who was able to carry on the growling plunger-mute style of Bubber while also developing his own distinct, powerful voice.

The Name Game

The name game continued when the Ellington band recorded a version of Cotton Club Stomp for Brunswick in 1930, this time under the Jungle Band moniker.

Let's give that one a spin:

The flipside of that Brunswick record was another stomper with the then-topical title of Wall Street Wail: 

I sometimes see these two identified as the same song with different titles to get around contract exclusivity, but I don't think they’re the same song at all. And Brunswick wouldn’t put the same song on two sides of the same record, right? Listening to them side-by-side, you can hear that while they share that "Jungle" DNA, they are distinct arrangements.

The 1939 Remake

Duke and the boys revisited “Cotton Club Stomp” in 1939, also for Brunswick, with an updated arrangement—this time credited to Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra:

I don't think any other band covered "Cotton Club Stomp" at the time, and no one seems to have remade it since, except as modern recreations. Some songs are just uniquely Ellingtonian!

Stomping or wailing, no one did it better!

Threaded Thursday: The Voices in the Fog

Yesterday we listened to some instrumental versions of Erroll Garner’s classic composition Misty, so let’s hear some vocal versions today!

Misty was already popular before it had words, but I think it’s the lyrics added by veteran songwriter Johnny Burke that made it a standard. Whatever the case, it’s hard to imagine that it didn’t always have lyrics!

The Original: Dakota Staton (1957)

A fun part of doing a deep dive into a particular song is discovering that the first recorded version might not be what you think it was! Case in point: Dakota Staton was the first vocalist to record Misty with lyrics when she included it on her 1957 album The Late, Late Show for Capitol Records.

Kind of intriguing that the first vocal version of Misty was something of a deep cut on an artist’s debut album!

The "Divine" Influence: Sarah Vaughan (1959)

The song got a bit more traction when the great Sarah Vaughan recorded it for Mercury as part of her Vaughan and Violins album, as well as including it as the B-side of her big hit Broken-Hearted Melody in 1959.

The Blockbuster: Johnny Mathis (1959)

Apparently Johnny Mathis thought Sarah’s record was divine, and he recorded his version of Misty for his Columbia album Heavenly later in 1959. A 45-rpm single of the song was released and became a massive hit, solidifying the song’s permanent place in the Great American Songbook.

The "Intimate" Miss Christy (1963)

Something that I think is very cool is that “The Misty Miss Christy” – June Christy – recorded her own version! It was included on her 1963 album The Intimate Miss Christy for Capitol.

Oh, yes, Miss Christy was both misty and intimate!

---

Which version makes you mistiest? Are you team Staton, Vaughan, Mathis, or Christy?

Word Association Wednesday: Getting Misty

Following Sunday’s trip through the fog with Duke’s Misty Mornin’,my brain naturally stayed in the clouds. Sometimes the word association is so iconic you just have to go with the heavyweight champ: Erroll Garner and his 1954 masterpiece, Misty.

But Misty didn't just stay a piano solo; it became a vehicle for some of the greatest instrumentalists in the game.

The Original: Erroll Garner (1954)

Legend has it Garner composed this in his head while watching a rainbow through the hazy window of a plane. Since he couldn't read music, he had to hum it to himself all the way to a piano! 

Let's spin the Mercury record with his trio:

Dig that "behind the beat" left hand!

The Contemporary Cover: Richard Hayman (1955)

If you take a look at the sheet music at the top of the page, you'll notice that it mentions both Erroll's and Richard Hayman's recordings of the tune - both on Mercury Records. Me being me, I feel the need to give Richard Hayman's version a whirl!

Here he is with harmonica and orchestra from 1955:

Richard Hayman certainly had a way of taking the novelty out of the harmonica to play a smooth ballad!

The Big Band Bloom: Count Basie (1960)

By 1960, the Atomic-era Basie band took a crack at it for the "Dance Along with Basie" album on Roulette Records. This version features a gorgeous, deep-timbered solo by baritone saxophonist Charlie Fowlkes:

That's just wonderful! Charlie was the anchor of the Basie reed section for decades, and he makes that big horn sound as light as air here.

The Soul-Jazz Burner: Richard "Groove" Holmes (1966)

If you think Misty is just a sleepy ballad, Groove Holmes is here to change your mind. He puts the tune on the Hammond B-3 organ, kicks the bass pedals, and absolutely cooks it. It’s Misty with some serious groove:

Whether it’s the piano genius of Erroll, the smooth harmonica of Richard Hayman, the big-band swing of Basie and Fowlkes, or the soul-jazz organ of Groove Holmes—they can all play Misty for me!

Which version is clear as a bell to you?

I'll throw it out there to say that the model on Groove's LP looks the mistiest!

For a little bonus, here's a link  to Erroll Garner playing Misty on the Ed Sullivan show in 1961:

Nice!

Monday Side-Session: Bubber’s "Mileage" Beyond the Duke

Before we move deeper into 1930 with Duke Ellington, let's check in with Bubber Miley, Duke's star trumpeter in the band's early days.

James "Bubber" Miley was an outstanding trumpeter and a master of the growl tone in particular. He and trombonist Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton were -yes, I'm going there- "instrumental" in shaping the sound during the "Jungle Band" period. Unfortunately, Bubber was famously unreliable, which led to him leaving the band in 1929. He passed away just a few years later in 1932 at the young age of 29.

The Reisman Connection

Let's listen to some of Bubber's work after leaving the Ellington band, starting with this 1930 recording of "What Is This Thing Called Love?" by Leo Reisman and his Orchestra on Victor Records:

That's a pretty early example of a Black musician playing with a white orchestra, but Leo Reisman knew who the man for the job was—and Bubber sounds great!

Bubber Miley and his Mileage Makers

Bubber also released six sides from three sessions on Victor in 1930, billed as Bubber Miley and his Mileage Makers. Let's listen to the full run:

1. The May 16, 1930 Session This first pairing features prolific session vocalist Frankie Marvin: 

2. The July 3, 1930 Session This session included George Bias on vocals: 

3. The September 11, 1930 Session Finally, this session had the great Edith Wilson as vocalist: 

Due to his early death, Bubber Miley seems so rooted in the 1920s, but you have to wonder how his sound would have evolved as the Swing Era truly got under way. He was a pioneer who left us far too soon.

What do you think? Did the "Mileage Makers" have enough gas in the tank to compete with the big bands of the mid-30s?

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!