Last Sunday, we were doing the "lazy gait" to Duke’s The Mooche. Naturally, that word leads me to only one place: the "low-down hoochy-coocher" herself, Minnie the Moocher!
The 1931 Kickoff
If Duke was the sophisticated soul of the Cotton Club, Cab
Calloway was its high-voltage engine. In 1931, he and his great orchestra
recorded this for Brunswick, and the "Hi-De-Ho"
call-and-response became an instant cultural phenomenon.
You can still feel the heat of this track 95 years later!
Minnie Goes to Hollywood (via Animation)
As a connoisseur of vintage animation, I have to
highlight the 1932 Fleischer Studios masterpiece. This cartoon is
legendary because the animators used rotoscoping to trace Cab’s actual
dance moves, turning him into a ghostly, swaying walrus. It is surreal,
slightly spooky, and brilliant.
Here’s a link:
That's just wild! I appreciate the live-action footage at the beginning of these cartoons, as it's a rare chance to see the performers in action!
The Wedding of the Century
Minnie’s story didn't end with her "kickin' the gong
around." Cab gave her a proper sequel in 1932 with Minnie the
Moocher's Wedding Day. It’s a high-energy celebration that
proves even a "moocher" can have her day in the sun—and the band is
absolutely smoking on this track!
That was easily the event of the 1932 social season!
But Cab wasn't the only one celebrating; his Brunswick
label-mates The Boswell Sisters cut their own incredible version of the
tune.
The Boswell Sisters and the Dorsey Brothers—how can
you beat that combo? I love how their tight harmonies give the song a
completely different kind of swing.
Between the "Mooche" (the gait) and the "Moocher" (the girl), which one makes you want to get up and move more?
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