Sundays with Duke #37 – Ivie’s Got It Bad

We remain in 1941 with Duke Ellington, settling in with another true Ellington classic: I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good).

🤸🏾Jump‑for‑Joy Genesis

Composed by Duke with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, the song was introduced by the incomparable Ivie Anderson in the Ellington musical revue Jump for Joy. 

Naturally, the band hit the studio for Victor with Ivie to capture the magic:

She is in peak form here, wrapped in one of Johnny Hodges’ signature velvet-alto arrangements. 

The record became an instant hit, even finding its way into a Soundie:

It's always a treat to see the band in motion, and especially wonderful to see Ivie!

Duke kept I Got It Bad in the band's repertoire for years even after Ivie departed the band in 1942 due to health challenges. 

🎙️Black‑and‑White Brilliance

In 1946, as a solo artist, Ivie recorded this version for the Black & White label:

It’s a gift to have another reading of this tune from Ivie — a perfect showcase for her warmth and phrasing.

🎤 Aladdin After‑Hours

Al Hibbler brought a different texture to the piece during his time with Duke, and he leaned into that sound for his own 1946 session for the Aladdin label:

Anchored by Harry Carney's baritone sax, this date features a stellar lineup. Al, Harry, trumpeter Shorty Baker, and altoist Russell Procope were all moonlighting from the Ellington orchestra.

🎷 Newport Nightfall

Fast-forward to 1956. We return to the Newport Jazz Festival for a purely instrumental take released on Columbia, putting Johnny Hodges right back where he belongs: in the spotlight:

The crowd knows exactly what they are hearing, and they dig it!

🎼 Songbook Splendor

No retrospective on this tune would be complete without Ella Fitzgerald. Her 1957 Songbook sessions for Verve with Duke’s band are legendary, and this track is no exception:

Ella graces us with the rarely heard verse, and the extended arrangement gives Johnny’s alto yet another moment to glow.

📀 Popular Perfection

We keep the spotlight on Johnny in 1960 for this exquisite track from RCA Victor's The Popular Duke Ellington:

It’s a masterclass in economy and feeling.

🎺Satchmo's Spotlight

Then in 1961, Louis Armstrong sang and played this version with Duke as part of their Roulette sessions:

Trummy Young and Barney Bigard sat out this tune, so it's just Louis with Duke backed by Mort Herbert on bass and Danny Barcelona on bass. That's pure Satch!

🎵 Verve Velvet

Because there is truly no such thing as "too much" Johnny Hodges, we close our set with his 1962 Verve recording backed by Billy Strayhorn and the orchestra:

It's a sophisticated, wonderful farewell.

One thing's for sure: Ivie and Johnny may have "had it bad," but for us, that’s very good!

Monday Side-Session - Taking the Train

For today’s side-session let’s hop back aboard with Billy Strayhorn as we Take the “A” Train for a few more stops.

1941: Cab and Glenn Catch the Ride

We kick off in 1941 with two contemporary covers that prove just how fast Strayhorn’s tune spread across the map once the Duke Ellington version hit.

First stop: Cab Calloway on Okeh:

Cab never imitates Ellington — he just swings his own way. Chu Berry on tenor, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, and Cab’s band sounding sharp as ever. He didn’t cut many instrumentals, so this one feels like a little treasure.

Billy May

Then comes, to me, the most fascinating contemporary cover of any Ellington hit ever: Glenn Miller on Bluebird:

Billy May turns the tune into a ballad — a sly, cheeky move, but also gorgeous. That Miller band could float a melody like nobody else - those reeds, the muted brass, a sensuous Tex Beneke tenor solo.

May and Strayhorn were old Pittsburgh pals, so you know they probably had a chuckle together over this arrangement.

1950: Tito’s Latin Express Line

Jumping ahead to 1950, Tito Puente on RCA Victor takes the train onto Latin tracks:

The label may say Tren Expreso, but that’s our "A" Train under the hood — bright, percussive, and full of Puente’s spark.

1954: Tex Swings the Standard Out West

Next stop: the Western plains with Tex Williams on Decca in 1954:

I’m a complete sucker for a big‑band standard played by a Western Swing outfit! It’s like the tune put on cowboy boots and decided to two‑step.

And Dance-O-Rama? I am so in!

1957: Jackie’s Velvet Ride

Back to the city for Jackie Gleason’s take from Velvet Brass (Capitol, 1957):

Velvety indeed — lush, slow‑motion brass with Toots Mondello gliding on alto. It’s the "A" Train dipped in gold leaf.

How sweet it is — Ralph Kramden never drove a bus this nice!

1960: Esquivel Goes Off the Rails

Then everything goes gloriously sideways with Esquivel for RCA Victor's 1960 album Infinity in Sound:

All the wild Esquivel touches — sound effects, stereo ping‑pong, space‑age sparkle, and that unmistakable sense of fun. It’s a carnival ride disguised as a train.

Count me in as a Hi-Fanatic!

1967: Homer & Jethro Play It Straight

One last stop: Homer and Jethro from their 1967 RCA Victor album It Ain’t Necessarily Square.

Not square at all — they play it straight, and it’s fantastic! Jethro Burns’ mandolin is brilliant — clean, quick, and full of personality.

Their novelty records were funny, but the musicianship was always dead serious.

Final Stop

A wild ride across decades, genres, and detours — but we’ll Take the “A” Train anywhere it leads us.

Thanks for the ride, Billy!

Sundays with Duke #35: Take It!

As we step into 1941 with Duke Ellington, we hit one of the absolute crown jewels of the Ellington catalogue: Billy Strayhorn’s immortal Take the ‘A’ Train.

The band recorded it for Victor in February 1941.

Let’s spin it:

Everything about this record feels perfectly balanced — Duke’s attention‑grabbing piano intro, Ray Nance’s two bright trumpet solos, and Strayhorn’s subtle yet intricate backgrounds that glide underneath the melody.

It’s the performance that announced Billy Strayhorn’s arrival to the wider music world and confirmed Ray Nance as a worthy successor to Cootie Williams.

The tune was so well‑received that it became the Ellington band’s theme song, staying in heavy rotation from then on.

Out of the countless performances, here’s a distilled playlist of some of the most notable...

Broadcast Brilliance (1951)

First up is this revised arrangement from a 1951 radio broadcast spotlighting Paul Gonsalves on tenor:

It almost sounds like a different tune — leaner, cooler, and built around Gonsalves’ long‑line phrasing.

Uptown Unleashed (1952)

Gonsalves returns on this epic version from the 1952 Columbia album Ellington Uptown, also featuring vocalist Betty Roché:

The early LP format gave Duke room to stretch out, reinventing the song with extended solos and a more dramatic arc.

Newport Nostalgia (1956)

From the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, we get a more traditional reading:

Ray Nance steps back in on trumpet, bringing that familiar sparkle.

Ella Takes the Train (1957)

Ella Fitzgerald once again joins with Duke and the band for her 1957 take from the Duke Ellington Songbook on Verve:

A blast of joy — Duke’s classic piano intro, Ella’s scatting, and the band’s playful train sound effects.

Duke in the Foreground (1960)

From Duke’s 1960 Columbia album Piano in the Background:

Despite the album title, Duke’s piano is very much in the foreground, and it’s wonderful.

Piano Royalty Meets (1962)

Staying with Columbia, here’s a track from Duke's 1962 album that teamed his band with Count Basie's band — First Time! The Count Meets the Duke:

Two titans in one studio — yet both leaders let Billy Strayhorn take the piano solos. A quiet, unmistakable sign of respect.

Ray Nance trades trumpet lines with Basie's Sonny Cohn just to keep things fair!

A Popular Performance (1966)

We wind up with Duke’s 1966 RCA Victor album The Popular Duke Ellington, which appropriately leads off with Take the "A’" Train:

Twenty‑five years after its initial departure, the train still sounds fresh!

A Cinematic Closing  — Hollywood Gets on Board (1943)

As a bonus, here's a fun clip from the 1943 Columbia picture Reveille with Beverly:

There’s young Betty Roché singing and Ray Nance showing off some dance steps. The band is shown performing on a railroad train — even though the real “A” Train was a subway line. The story goes that Duke told Strayhorn to “take the A Train” to reach his home in Sugar Hill.

Good thing Billy made the trip!

Sixties Saturday: Shelley!

📦 Warehouse Stack: Colpix, 1962 — One Perfect Pop Moment

I saw the sad news that Shelley Fabares passed away last week at age 82.

I always associate her most with The Donna Reed Show, and with the great hit single that spun out of her time on that series — Johnny Angel.

Let’s give that 1962 Colpix record a spin:

Shelley was the first to admit she wasn’t really a singer, but Johnny Angel is such a lovely little pop confection — soft, sweet, and shimmering with that early‑’60s innocence.

Am I partial to it because it has Johnny in the title? Maybe just a little!

But honestly, if I were a teenager on a late‑1950s/early‑1960s sitcom, I would totally want "Mary Stone" to be my girlfriend!

Rest in peace, Shelley.

Friday Fun: Puff! Puff! Puff!

Let’s keep the smoke theme rolling and land on perhaps the most famous song ever written about the habit — Tex Williams’ monster 1947 hit Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette).

Tex Lights the Match

Here’s Tex and his Western Caravan on Capitol:

I adore everything about this record — Tex’s sly, bone-dry delivery, the clever lyric, and that Western Swing arrangement that snaps like a match being struck.

The record was a genuine phenomenon, climbing all the way to number one on the pop charts, which was no small feat for a country record in 1947. Tex and co-writer Merle Travis had that rare crossover magic.

Phil Unfiltered

Naturally, other labels wanted a drag off the hit, and RCA Victor handed the song to a man who could deliver a novelty number like this in his sleep — Phil Harris, backed by The Sportsmen:

A song like this sits so squarely in Phil’s wheelhouse that if you didn’t know Tex’s original, you might assume Phil was the one it was written for.

And I love the contrast: Tex leans into the talking‑blues patter, while Phil more talk‑sings his way through the verses, giving it that Harris grin.

Did Someone Say Monster Hit?

I totally want Bobby's cardigan!

Plenty of other versions followed — some charming, some forgettable — but let’s close with one that’s simply too odd not to share.

Here’s Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Filter‑Tip Kickers on RCA Victor in 1964:

Now, I love Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! and I love Monster Mash, but I’m not entirely sure what to think when those two worlds collide. It’s like someone dropped a cigarette into a bubbling cauldron and said, “Eh, let’s see what happens.”

Still — whatever you do — don’t puff, puff, puff yourself to death!

Sundays with Duke #33: Billy and Johnny’s Dream

As we linger in 1940 with Duke Ellington, we come across an early classic from his assistant Billy Strayhorn — Day Dream.

Johnny on Bluebird (1940)

Billy wrote Day Dream as a showcase for the lush alto of Johnny Hodges, who recorded it as leader of a smaller Ellington unit in November 1940.

Let’s spin that Bluebird disc:

A couple of things about the label credits: Duke receives co‑writing credit even though Billy was the sole composer, and the label helpfully reminds us that this is indeed an Ellington unit!

Duke didn’t record a studio version at the time — Johnny had already said everything that needed saying — but he kept the tune in the band book for radio broadcasts and personal appearances.

Lyrics Arrive (1941)

Day Dream acquired lyrics fairly quickly. John Latouche added them, and the title was slightly adjusted to Day-Dream.

The only contemporary version I can find is this 1941 Decca side by Jimmy Dorsey with Bob Eberly:

It works quite well as a pop tune, so I’m surprised no other band picked up on it. I wonder if JD was intrigued by Johnny Hodges’ solo and wanted to try the tune himself — he does well by it!

LP Era Awakening (1956)

As we’ve seen with other slow-burning standards, Day Dream didn’t get much traction otherwise until the mid‑1950s, when the LP era really began to bloom.

Duke finally cut a proper studio version in 1956 for his Bethlehem album Duke Ellington Presents…: 

It doesn’t take long to know that Johnny Hodges is on this track.

June Floats In (1956)

The next vocal version also arrived in 1956, as June Christy featured the song on her Capitol album The Misty Miss Christy: 

Quite lovely — verse and all.

I think that Warehouse law dictates that I always refer to June Christy's as the Misty Miss Christy, so this time the actual album title did me a solid!

Coop’s Misty Instrumental (1958)

Interestingly, June’s husband, tenor saxist Bob Cooper, recorded an instrumental version in 1958 for his Contemporary album Coop:

Also actually pretty misty.

Ella Checks In (1957)

We back up to 1957 to check in with our good friend Ella Fitzgerald, who recorded a lovely version for her Duke Ellington Songbook on Verve — this time with the Ellington band, including Billy Strayhorn on piano: 

And of course, Johnny Hodges is featured.

Jo Joins the Dream (1960)

Moving to 1960, the wonderful vocalist Jo Stafford recorded Day Dream for her Columbia album Jo + Jazz: 

And yes, Johnny Hodges is featured in this cut as well!

Johnny and Billy Return to the Source (1962)

Then in 1962, Johnny recorded another instrumental take with Billy Strayhorn for their Verve album:

Another lovely version.

Billy's Solo Dream (1963)

                                

Then Billy recorded a solo piano version for his 1963 United Artists The Peaceful Side:

Quite peaceful, with nice vocalese backing from the Paris Blue Notes.

Joya’s Twist (1965)

Things take an interesting turn when former Ellington vocalist Joya Sherrill recorded the song for her 1965 20th Century Fox album Sings Duke. Give a listen and I’ll explain: 

You may notice that there’s no sax on that track at all. The main accompanist is Ellington stalwart Ray Nance on violin. The funny thing — Johnny Hodges plays on some of the other songs from the album!

Also, the label and liner notes from the original LP show the song as Day Dreams and credit only Duke as composer, even though the actual composer, Billy Strayhorn, plays piano on the track!

Note: By this point, the song title had been listed as Day Dream, Day‑Dream, and Daydream, so why not add an S!

Ray Returns (1966)

Ray Nance and his violin were back in the studio in 1966 with Duke for this lovely, unissued‑at‑the‑time recording:

Ray was first and foremost a trumpet player, but his violin graced many tracks over the years.

Full Circle (1968)

We come full circle as Duke and the full orchestra — with Johnny Hodges — record a gorgeous take for the 1968 RCA Victor album of Strayhorn compositions …And His Mother Called Him Bill:

I can’t hear Johnny’s alto gliding through Day Dream enough. Billy Strayhorn was onto something back in 1940 — and every version since just proves the point!