Tuesday Tidbit: Not Entirely Sophisticated

After yesterday’s flurry of 1933 recordings of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady, we dip into 1934 for one more instrumental version - this time from the great Jimmie Lunceford band, newly signed to the upstart Decca label:

Could you possibly go wrong with the Lunceford band covering an Ellington tune? They were incapable of playing anything without style, snap, and that trademark Lunceford lift.

Someone at Decca clearly had a sense of humor, because the flipside of “Sophisticated Lady” was the novelty number Unsophisticated Sue:

That’s a lot of fun - pure early‑Decca playfulness!

The vocal trio on “Sue” is a treat in itself: arranger/trumpeter Sy Oliver, alto saxist Willie Smith, and trombonist Henry Wells stepping up to the mic. A little window into how versatile this band already was.

This single was among the very first releases in Lunceford’s long and glorious Decca run, but you’d never know it from the confidence on display. The band hit the ground running!