We remain in 1940 with Duke Ellington as we come across another true classic — Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.
It’s so well‑known by that title, and there have been so many vocal versions, that it’s easy to forget the tune began life as an instrumental under a different name. But aficionados know the band first recorded and released it as Never No Lament.
Let’s spin that 1940 Victor recording:
That’s one of those sides where everything locks in: the catchy tune, the tight ensemble work, and the brilliant solos by Johnny Hodges on alto, Cootie Williams on trumpet, and Lawrence Brown on trombone.
This was one of the earliest Ellington records I ever bumped into — it showed up on a couple of various‑artists compilations — and it went a long way toward making me realize just how great a band this was.
🖋️ A New Name, A New Life
Unlike Concerto for Cootie / Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me, the original title Never No Lament faded into the mist. I get it — I can’t “un‑hear” the lyrics anymore, even when listening to an instrumental version.
Victor reissued Duke’s 1940 recording under the new title during the recording ban, and just like the Do Nothin’ reissue, it became a huge hit.
🎤 Hibbler Sings It
Despite the popularity of the vocal version, Duke seldom performed it with a singer, though the instrumental stayed in heavy rotation from then on.
He did record a studio vocal version for Columbia with Al Hibbler in 1947:
Al leans way more into his vocal eccentricities here than he did on Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me (recorded during the same timeframe), and he can’t quite get the words straight!
🎺The Ellington Alumni Parade Begins
From here, we’ve got a parade of Ellington‑adjacent versions. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know the artists by their first names: Ben, Rex, Ella, Cat, Cootie, Johnny and Louis!
🎷Ben's Velvet Tenor (1954)
Ben Webster lends his tenor to the tune on his 1954 Norgran album The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster:
A lofty album title — but they’re not wrong!
🎺 Rex Rolls In (1955)
Next up, Rex Stewart with his 1955 take for Elite:
Great to hear Lawrence Brown alongside Rex.
🎙️ Ella Reimagines the Lyric (1957)
Ella Fitzgerald returns with this cut from her 1957 Duke Ellington Songbook album on Verve:
Ella takes even more liberties with the lyrics than Al Hibbler!
🎺 Cat Hits the Stratosphere (1959)
We move to 1959 for Cat Anderson’s version from his wonderfully titled Mercury album Cat on a Hot Tin Horn:
Those high notes — pure Cat!
🎺 Cootie Circles Back (1960)
Cootie Williams, the trumpet star from the original 1940 recording, returns with another track from his 1960 Warwick album Do Nothing Till You Hear from Cootie:
It’s fascinating to compare the styles of Cootie, Cat, and Rex.
🎷 Johnny Brings It Home (1962)
Johnny Hodges brings his alto back to the tune for his 1962 Verve album Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra:
Awkward title — great record. In addition to Billy Strayhorn, Cat, Lawrence and Harry Carney are among the Ellingtonians on the album!
🎺 Duke & Satchmo Share the Spotlight (1963)
Duke himself returns as he joins Louis Armstrong and his All‑Stars on their Roulette album The Great Reunion:
Trummy Young on trombone and old pal Barney Bigard on clarinet give great support to Satch (who sings the lyrics pretty straight) and Duke.
The track was actually recorded in 1961 during the sessions for Duke and Louis’ earlier album — they cut so many sides that there was enough for another release a couple of years later. So, not exactly a reunion!
🎶 A Snappy Reprise (1965)
Finally, Duke and the band deliver this crisp instrumental take from the 1965 Reprise album Will Big Bands Ever Return?:
It was recorded in late 1962, with Johnny, Cootie, and Lawrence all back in the fold — so at least that band returned.
📀 A Tune with a Thousand Lives
These recordings barely scratch the surface of the zillions of versions of Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, but what a scratch we scratched!
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