Sundays with Duke #36: Settin’ and Sittin’

As we stay parked in 1941 with Duke Ellington, we hit upon another classic Ellington–Strayhorn collaboration: Just a‑Settin’ and a‑Rockin’.

📀 Swingin’ into Summer ’41

The band recorded it for Victor in June, with Ben Webster featured on tenor sax:

That just moves along at such a relaxed, swinging pace, as if the band really is just a-settin' and a rockin'!

The other soloists are Ray Nance on trumpet, Barney Bigard on clarinet, and the unmistakable Tricky Sam Nanton on trombone.

📝 Lyric Lift & Title Twist

The tune was reasonably popular and stayed in the band’s book — but with a twist. Lee Gaines of The Delta Rhythm Boys added lyrics, the title shifted to Just a‑Sittin’ and a‑Rockin’, and unlike most of Duke’s retro‑fitted vocal numbers, he actually usually performed this one with the lyrics.

📻 Nance Nudges It Along

Although the band didn’t cut a vocal studio version at the time, it turned up frequently on radio broadcasts with Ray Nance handling the vocal. This 1946 aircheck with an extended arrangement is a great example:

It fits Ray beautifully, which likely explains why Duke kept it in rotation.

🎙 Capitol Curiosities

Studio recordings after that were sporadic. Duke and Ray revisited the tune for Capitol in December 1953 in a quartet setting:

An interesting take — unissued at the time.

Later that same month, the full band recorded another version, again with Ray on vocal, also left unreleased:

Hard to say why those two takes stayed in the vault, but they’re both worth hearing. Ray clearly loves singing it!

🌹 Rosie’s Rendition

Another shelved item: this 1956 track with Rosemary Clooney overdubbing her vocal:

It comes from the sessions for the Columbia album Blue Rose, though it didn’t make the original release. That's Buck Clayton with the snazzy trumpet work.

🎤 Ella’s Echo

For a version that did come out contemporaneously, we jump to Ella Fitzgerald’s 1957 Ellington‑adjacent take for Verve:

This comes from Ella’s Duke Ellington Songbook sessions — a small‑group setting rather than Duke’s orchestra — but we do get a welcome cameo from Ben Webster!

🎹 Billy Brings It Back

For the final word on the tune, we once again turn to Billy Strayhorn’s 1963 Reprise album The Peaceful Side for this lovely rendition:

I’ll say it again — very peaceful.

So the recording history of this tune ends up being a little sideways: a hit in 1941, a lyric added later, and a surprising number of versions that spent years just sittin’ in the vault before they finally got to rockin’.

Monday Side-Session: A Pair of Panoramas

Following yesterday’s Duke Ellington classic In a Mellotone, we stay right in 1940 for a Victor 78 that carries two of Duke’s most vivid little city‑scenes. Both sides deserve their moment in the spotlight.

Side A: Sepia Panorama

Billy Strayhorn shaped the evocative arrangement with Duke, and the band paints in alternating strokes: Juan Tizol’s velvet valve‑trombone, Harry Carney’s deep‑toned baritone, Cootie Williams’ growl trumpet and Ben Webster’s unmistakable warm tenor. Underneath it all, Jimmie Blanton threads those typically brilliant bass passages—little bursts of invention that seem to tilt the whole piece forward.

Side B: Harlem Air‑Shaft

Barney Bigard slips in a couple of gracefully gliding clarinet spots, and Tricky Sam Nanton brings his signature plunger trombone murmur. Cootie switches to open trumpet here—no mute, just that bright, ringing tone for his main solo, but he sneaks a little muted trumpet bit in between Barney's solos.

Duke once explained the title: an air shaft in a Harlem apartment building was like a neighborhood radio—carrying the sounds of people cooking, arguing, singing, laughing. Everyday life drifting upward in fragments.

Two Vignettes of 1940 Harlem

Taken together, Sepia Panorama and Harlem Air‑Shaft feel like companion pieces—two quick, vivid sketches of Harlem life in 1940. Duke’s orchestra wasn’t just playing dance music; they were capturing the atmosphere of a place, a moment, a community — all filtered through one of the most inventive orchestras ever assembled. They matter because they’re not just performances; they’re portraits.

Sundays with Duke #31: Ben’s Big Breakthrough

Staying in 1940 with Duke Ellington, we flip over last week’s Victor disc of Never No Lament (Don’t Get Around Much Anymore) and land on another stone‑cold classic — Cotton Tail.

Ben Barges In

This side was essentially Ben Webster’s coming‑out party with the Ellington orchestra. Duke had never truly featured a tenor sax soloist before Ben arrived, and Cotton Tail became the perfect vehicle for his huge, urgent, modern sound.

Let’s spin it:

Forward‑thinking for 1940, influential for generations, and still fresh 86 years later.

Ben in Motion: The “Hot Chocolate” Soundie

Here’s the fun Soundie Hot Chocolate, showing Ben and the band tearing it up on camera:

Some fancy jitterbugging going on, too!

You may also notice that the title card shows the name of the song as "Cottontail," following the Stardust/Moonglow route!

Before Ben: No Tenor Stars

As I mentioned, it's fascinating that before Webster joined, Duke’s band had no featured tenor sax soloist. Barney Bigard played tenor in the section but took his solos on clarinet. Once Ben arrived, Duke always kept a tenor star on the roster — and each got their crack at Cotton Tail.

As an example, here’s Al Sears giving it his own spin on a 1945 aircheck:

That's an interesting bit from the announcer about the tunes title — I wonder if it's true!

A Tenor‑less Twist: Billy Strayhorn Trio (1951)

One of the most unusual versions is this 1951 Mercer label recording by the Billy Strayhorn Trio — no tenor sax at all:

Just Duke and Billy sharing piano duties, with Wendell Marshall on bass. A completely different texture.

Ben After Duke: King of the Tenors

Of course, Ben kept “Cotton Tail” in his book long after leaving Ellington. Here’s a great 1954 take from his Norgran LP The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster (reissued as King of the Tenors on Verve in 1957):

He really was King of the Tenors!

Ella’s Scat‑Driven Spin

The tune doesn’t naturally lend itself to lyrics, but that didn’t stop Ella Fitzgerald from recording a mostly‑scat version for her 1957 Duke Ellington Songbook album on Verve:

That’s Ben on tenor, name‑checked by Ella, with Stuff Smith on violin and Barney Kessel on guitar adding tasty solos.

Ella at Duke’s Place

Ella returned to the tune in 1966 for this great take with Duke and the band from the Verve album Ella at Duke’s Place:

Totally different vibe — Ella becomes a featured “instrument,” with the band swirling around her. Paul Gonsalves gets a brief tenor moment, and Cat Anderson fires off those trademark high‑note blasts from the trumpet section.

Here's a great video of Ella with Duke and the band also from 1966:

Paul Gonsalves gets a nice "duet" with Ella and everyone seems to be having a blast — I think Johnny Hodges even cracked a smile!

Louis Armstrong & Duke

Let’s sneak back to 1961 for a similar vocal approach by Louis Armstrong with his All Stars and Duke, from their Roulette album Recording Together for the First Time:

Satch and Duke are in fine form, and Trummy Young on trombone and Barney Bigard on clarinet are awesome!

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross

We close with a full vocal version — Lambert, Hendricks & Ross from their 1960 Columbia album Sing Ellington:

This track is notable as I think it's the only version of the song with full lyrics. It’s clever and interesting, though maybe a little too cutesy for my taste. As always, your mileage may vary.

Stamped, carted and shelved — and as Ella says, "That’s Cot-ton Tail!"

Sundays with Duke #30: No Lament At All

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

As with Concerto for Cootie, after the original release, Bob Russell added lyrics and the title was changed to the familiar Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.

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!