Threaded Thursday: Ah, So Pure

Opera to Orchestra: Flotow Finds Swing

Following yesterday’s updates to the classical My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice, we keep the thread going with variations on another 19th‑century operatic theme — Martha by Friedrich von Flotow.

Larry's Lovely Lady

And once again, we start with the preeminent classics‑into‑pop arranger of the big band era, Larry Clinton, and his super‑canary Bea Wain.

Let’s spin their 1938 take on Martha for Victor:

That’s another home run for Bea and Larry!

Connee Captivates

I’ve known that Clinton record for so long — and it’s appeared on so many compilations — that I consider it the definitive swing version of the song. So I was surprised sometime later to learn there was an earlier swing adaptation: Connie (Connee) Boswell’s late‑1937 Decca recording backed by Bob Crosby’s Bob Cats.

Let’s spin it:

That’s a great version! I’ve probably run out of adjectives for Connee Boswell, so let’s listen to the glowing introduction to her performance of Martha from the Philco Hall of Fame broadcast of May 7, 1944:

Connee on Camera: Martha in Motion

We’re still not done with Connee — we have two videos of her singing Martha.

First is this 1950 Universal short in which she sings “I Don’t Know Why” and “Martha,” backed by Les Brown and his Band of Renown:

Fun to hear Connee talk a little about the song.

Next is a video transcription from 1952:

How great is it that we have this footage to enjoy?

One thing I wonder: was Connee drawn to the song because one of her Boswell Sisters siblings was named Martha? And what did Vet Boswell think?

I also notice that neither Connee nor Bea sing gender‑flipped lyrics — they seem to be singing to Martha, not about Martha.

Wingy’s Wild Woman

For a contemporary male take, we turn to trumpeter/singer Wingy Manone, who cut his version for Bluebird later in 1938:

Wingy has officially taken Martha off the opera stage and into a juke joint!

Label intrigue: Wingy’s last name is misspelled on the label, which also credits the adaptation to Larry Clinton — though it’s actually closer to Connee’s version!

Rollini’s Radiant Reverie

Now to 1940 for a cool instrumental version by multi‑instrumentalist Adrian Rollini on vibes with his trio for Okeh:

Cooler still: there’s a video from 1948 of Adrian and his Trio playing Martha:

Adrian is best remembered for his ginormous bass sax, but he could play anything.

Crew Cuts’ Catchy Chorus

To show once again how adaptable a great melody can be, we land in 1955 with the fun Mostly Martha by The Crew Cuts on Mercury:

I still remember when I first played this on an old 45 and instantly knew it wasn’t mostly Martha — it was all Martha!

Martha’s Many Masks

Our girl Martha certainly got around, from the opera house to the soda shop, but she remained herself — a pure heart, a catchy tune and apparently no objections to being reimagined every decade!

Side‑Session Monday: More Sentimental Moods

Following up on Duke Ellington’s standard In a Sentimental Mood, today’s side‑session rounds up some (then) contemporary covers along with a handful of later remakes.

Goodman Gets Moody

Duke’s version was released in 1935, and by 1936 a whole wave of bands jumped on the tune — mostly as an instrumental. First up, Benny Goodman on Victor:

A typically great Goodman record of a Jimmy Mundy arrangement. Murray McEachern sounds wonderful on trombone.

Jimmy Joins In

Jimmy Dorsey’s version for Decca features an even more prominent trombone — Bobby Byrne even gets (slightly misspelled) label credit:

Bobby replaced Tommy Dorsey after Tommy left the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Byrne was a fine trombonist and later a bandleader himself, but he couldn’t really compete with Tommy in either category — though honestly, who could?

Pollack’s Parade of Stars

Ben Pollack also recorded the tune for Irving Mills’ Variety label, featuring the great clarinetist Irving Fazola:

Pollack was never quite a top‑tier bandleader, but the roster of future stars who passed through his band is astounding. Around this time, Glenn Miller, Harry James, Charlie Spivak and Freddie Slack were all on the payroll!

McDonough’s Pickup Perfection

Ace studio guitarist Dick McDonough led some pickup groups for the ARC line of budget labels, which still managed to feature top musicians — including trumpeter Bunny Berigan:

This session also includes Toots Mondello on clarinet, Adrian Rollini doing double‑duty on vibes and bass sax, and that steady beat courtesy of the great Cozy Cole on drums.

Mills Adds the Missing Lyrics

Yesterday I mentioned that In a Sentimental Mood had lyrics by Manny Kurtz (AKA Mann Curtis) and Irving Mills, though Duke never recorded a vocal version. Mills did, however, have The Mills Blue Rhythm Band cut it with vocalist Chuck Richardson:

Lucky Millinder leads the band, and the lineup includes such stars as Henry “Red” Allen on trumpet, J.C. Higginbotham on trombone, Tab Smith on sax, and Edgar Hayes on piano.

Collectively, these 1936 recordings feature a ton of talent!

We encounter another high level of talent as we move into 1937 for an instrumental version by the Quintette of the Hot Club of France featuring guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli on the HMV label:

Pretty cool to hear Stéphane take on the tune 25 years or so before his 1963 recording session with Duke

Mr. B’s Velvet Version

The tune became a standard and has been remade many times, but we have to jump ahead to 1948 for another notable vocal version. It’s worth the wait — Billy Eckstine wraps his velvet baritone around the tune for the National label:

There’s something about Mr. B singing an Ellington melody that’s pure magic.

Tommy's Sentimental Trombone

Since we’re already time‑traveling, let’s stop in the 1950s for a couple more instrumental versions of note. The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing, Tommy Dorsey, finally recorded his own version for Decca in 1953:

This was the title track of TD’s album In a Sentimental Mood, and the tune fits his trombone style like a glove.

Hackett's Mellow Mood

Another great musician, cornetist Bobby Hackett, included the song as a track on his 1955 Capitol album In a Mellow Mood:

An absolutely gorgeous nightcap for our little sentimental stroll!

Do you have a favorite version? Let me know in the comments.

Monday Side‑Session: Squeezing Out The Flips

For today’s side‑session, we’re flipping over those two versions of Double Check Stomp from Duke Ellington that we heard yesterday - because around here, the B‑side is never just an afterthought.

The Victor Flip: “Jazz Lips” (1930)

We’ll start with the Victor disc. Its flipside is an Ellington original called Jazz Lips.

As far as I can tell, Duke only recorded this one once, and I don’t think anyone else ever took a crack at it. But it’s a fun little number — compact, confident, and unmistakably Ellington.

What’s funny is that Jazz Lips actually sounds more “jungle‑y” than the Jungle Band flipside we’re about to hear. The growls, the textures, the rhythmic snap - it’s like they accidentally put the Jungle Band track on the wrong label!

The Brunswick Flip: “Accordion Joe” (1930)

Things get a bit wilder when we flip over the Brunswick record, credited to The Jungle Band.

You may remember that accordionist Cornell Smelser (recording as Joe Cornell) sat in on Double Check Stomp. On Accordion Joe, he steps right into the spotlight - and he’s joined by the ubiquitous session vocalist Dick Robertson.

It’s honestly a little surreal to hear Smelser and Robertson dropped into a Jungle Band session. It’s like someone shuffled the personnel cards when nobody was looking. The result is a stylistic curveball in the Ellington library - part novelty tune, part hot dance record, part “wait… what band is this again?”

The All‑Star “Joe”: Cornell and His Orchestra

And the plot thickens...

Cornell Smelser also recorded his own version of Accordion Joe - he co-wrote the song, so why not record it as many times as you can? - for Okeh, this time under the name Cornell and His Orchestra.

This take features a vocal by Artie Dunn, and the studio band is stacked with ringers:

• Jack Teagarden
• Jimmy Dorsey
• Adrian Rollini

It’s basically a who’s‑who of 1930 studio royalty backing an accordion novelty. Only in the 78 era could something this odd — and this delightful — exist.

Which Flip Makes You Flip?

So what’s your pick?

Do you go for Duke’s one‑off Jazz Lips, with its sly, jungle‑tinged swagger?

Or does the all‑star accordion madness of Cornell Smelser’s Accordion Joe win the day?

Either way, it's proof once again that Ellington’s universe is full of delightful detours if you’re willing to flip the record!

Note: There's also a Fleischer Studio cartoon from 1930 titled "Accordion Joe" which does feature the song. It's historically interesting as it features an early prototype of Betty Boop as love interest for Bimbo, the star of the cartoon. It's more than a bit racially insensitive, however, so I won't link to it. You can find it if you look for it.

"Keep on Doin' What You're Doin'" (1933) - Part 2!

Hey, let’s hear another snappy version of "Keep on Doin' What You're Doin'" from 1933’s RKO saucy feature “Hips Hips Hooray” starring Wheeler & Woolsey! 

Here’s Adrian’s Ramblers, led by bass saxophonist Adrian Rollini, on Brunswick Records:

 

Prolific session vocalist Chick Bullock is on hand and the pickup group ostensibly features Jimmy Dorsey on clarinet, Charlie Barnet on tenor sax and Gene Krupa on drums! 

What a blast - and not just from the Adrian's ginormous sax!