Sundays with Duke #4: The Ghost in the Wings

For the promised flipside of the Victor version of last Sunday's Black and Tan Fantasy, we move to October 1927, and one of the most haunting entries in the Ellington archive: Creole Love Call on Victor Records.

Let's give it a spin and enjoy Adelaide Hall's vocalizing:

This is the definitive first recording of this Ellington classic, and it introduced a revolutionary "instrument" to the band: the wordless human voice.

                                                          

The Accidental Instrument

The story goes that Duke heard Adelaide Hall humming along to the band from the wings of a theater. He realized her wordless, bluesy soprano was the perfect match for the "growly" jungle sound already being perfected by trumpeter Bubber Miley and trombonist Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton.

By the time they hit the Victor studios in Camden, NJ, the lineup was a "Who’s Who" of Ellington legends: Otto Hardwicke and a young Harry Carney on saxes, Freddy Guy on banjo, and the flamboyant Sonny Greer on drums.

The "Borrowed" Blueprint

Here’s a bit of Warehouse gossip: The main melody was actually "borrowed" from King Oliver’s Camp Meeting Blues. Clarinetist Rudy Jackson brought it to Duke claiming it was his own. Duke added the wordless vocal and the lush atmosphere, but the "King" eventually noticed the similarity! Regardless of its origins, Duke turned it into a masterpiece of mood.

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The Unusual Suspect: Clyde McCoy (1931)

Creole Love Call is so idiosyncratic that few dared to cover it, but an unlikely interpreter emerged in 1931: trumpeter Clyde McCoy. While McCoy is often remembered for a more "corny" style, his signature "wah-wah" trumpet works surprisingly well here. It’s a rare moment where the ultra-sophisticated Duke and the "Sugar Blues" man find common ground in the growl.

Here's Clyde's Columbia recording:

That's the real McCoy all right! (Sorry, I had to go there!)

The Hi-De-Ho Connection: Cab Calloway (1931)

A more "likely" suspect, Cab Calloway, also tackled the tune in 1931. While Cab is famous for his wild scatting, he plays it relatively straight here with a brief, effective vocal chorus:

This recording made the rounds on various budget labels at the time, but don’t let the "cheap" pedigree fool you—it’s the real goods.

The Swingin' Organ: Milt Herth Trio (1938)

Next, for something completely different, we jump to 1938 for a version by the Milt Herth Trio on Decca. With Milt on the organ, the legendary Willie "The Lion" Smith on piano, and O'Neil Spencer on drums, this is a total romp. It strips away the "haunted" vibe of the original and replaces it with pure, foot-tapping fun.

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Kay Davis looks dreamy as tenor man Al Sears digs Ray Nance's growl!

The High-Fidelity Masterpiece (1949)

Duke himself returned to the song in 1949 with a higher fidelity recording for Columbia, featuring the ethereal vocals of Kay Davis and the growl trumpet of Ray Nance:

What a lovely sound from the classically trained (Northwestern University) Kay Davis. And the versatile Ray Nance shows himself a worthy successor to Cootie Williams and Bubber Miley in the growl department!

The Battle of the Speeds: You might notice that this specific record is a 33 1/3 rpm seven-inch single. At that time, Columbia was battling it out with RCA Victor and its new 45 rpm format. Fairly soon, 45 rpm became the industry standard for singles and 33 1/3 rpm the standard for albums.

But at any speed, that’s a “call” worth answering!