Word Association Wednesday: Sweet Voices

For today’s Word Association Wednesday spinning off from I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart, the last two words nudged me toward “My Heart…” — which, in my universe, leads straight to My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice, the famous aria from Camille Saint‑Saëns’s Samson and Delilah.

Clinton’s Classical Conjuring

And more specifically, it leads to Larry Clinton’s adaptation, recorded for Victor in 1938 with the ever‑radiant Bea Wain:

Larry had a real knack for turning classical themes into swing‑era charmers, and hearing my favorite canary float over that arrangement never gets old.

Savitt’s Showcase

From there, the melody takes a stylish detour to Jan Savitt, who recorded an instrumental version for Decca in 1940:

A beautifully tailored arrangement by Billy Moore, and what a terrific trombone solo from Al Leopold — warm, confident, and right in the pocket.

D’Artega’s Delicate Detour

Jumping ahead to 1947, we find a more classically oriented take by D’Artega and his Orchestra on the Sonora label:

The label helpfully notes that one‑time bandleader Will Bradley handles the wonderful trombone solo, with Charlie Margulis stepping forward on trumpet. A nice bit of personnel transparency you don’t always get on mid‑’40s releases on small labels.

Bostic’s Bold Breakout

To show just how versatile a great tune can be, here’s Earl Bostic’s 1954 recording for King:

Always a pleasure to hear Earl's alto — that unmistakable, laser‑bright tone cutting right through the arrangement.

Jackie’s Journey

When I first heard the Larry Clinton record back in the day, the melody felt familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. Then it hit me: Night, the Jackie Wilson song! Sure enough, Night is based on the same Saint‑Saëns aria.

So let’s spin Jackie’s 1960 Brunswick record:

A deservedly huge hit. Jackie gets to show off his own sweet voice — soaring, operatic, and absolutely electrifying.

Conniff’s Choral Counterpoint Coda

We’ll close out with another track from 1960. This one is titled An Improvisation on My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice and it appears on Ray Conniff’s Columbia album Concert in Rhythm, Volume II:

I’ve always preferred the Conniff tracks where the male and female choruses provide wordless counterpoint rather than singing actual lyrics — those floating syllables give the arrangement a kind of shimmering, weightless lift.

And I do wonder how many people in 1960 dropped the needle on this LP and thought, “Hey, Ray Conniff is covering Jackie Wilson… but why is he using a different title?” A perfectly reasonable conclusion if your reference point was the Brunswick hit rather than Saint‑Saëns.

Aria’s Amazing Afterlife

A fascinating journey for a 19th‑century aria, winding its way through swing bands, classical pops, R&B sax showcases, easy listening improvisations and ultimately into the hands of one of the great voices of the 20th century.

Which treatment is your favorite?