Monday Side‑Session: More Sophistication

We follow yesterday’s overview of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady with a handful of contemporary cover versions, all from 1933!

The instrumental versions started flowing almost immediately after Duke’s original 1933 recording took off. Here’s a lovely one by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra from a rare Victor session:

I believe the violin solo is by Mel Janssen, who was acting as the band’s front man at this point while president Glen Gray remained in the sax section. Victor was the first label to bill the group as Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, in contrast to their concurrent Brunswick releases, which simply credited The Casa Loma Orchestra. Within a couple of years, Glen would be leading the band outright and billed accordingly on Decca.

I’ve mentioned before how important the Casa Loma band was in the evolution that led to the big‑band era. Another huge influence was arranger Don Redman, who cut some remarkable records in the early 1930s - including this version of Sophisticated Lady:

This one was released under Don’s own name on the Brunswick label, but the same recording also appeared under the pseudonym Earl Harlan and his Orchestra on the budget labels - Perfect, Banner, Melotone, and the rest of that family. You practically need to be Philo Vance* (or your favorite early‑’30s sleuth) to untangle it all. Regardless of the label gymnastics, it’s a terrific Redman arrangement.

We get a different kind of sophistication from this hotel‑style recording by Richard Himber on Vocalion:

Richard Himber is credited as Dick Himber on this label, and I know that's a nickname rather than a pseudonym, but still...

Much less sophisticated - at least in theory - were The Georgia Washboard Stompers, who turned in this cool take for Bluebird:

Apparently the Georgia Washboard Stompers are the same loose aggrragtion as the Washboard Rhythm Boys whom we heard playing Duke's Old Man Blues. They went by a bunch of names for various labels. What would Hezzie think?

Still in 1933 but heading in yet another direction, we have a solo piano version by the great Art Tatum on Brunswick:

That’s some astounding virtuosity!

To sneak in one more instrumental version, we hop over to England for this one from Billy Cotton on the Regal Zonophone label:

We close out this side‑session with one of the very few vocal versions of “Sophisticated Lady” from the early 1930s. And if we could pick just one group, it would be The Boswell Sisters, who waxed it for Brunswick in 1933:

I know I say it every time we spin one of their records, but the Bozzies were something else. And Connie/Connee is in a league of her own!

Curiously, this label lists only Duke Ellington as composer without mentioning Mitchell Parish as lyricist, so no label is safe from intrigue today!

One of the quiet delights of chasing Sophisticated Lady through 1933 is realizing she never shows up wearing the same outfit twice. Victor dresses her in formal evening wear, Brunswick gives her a smart tailored suit, and the budget labels send her out the door in a perfectly good knockoff with a different name pinned to the lapel. Don Redman becomes Earl Harlan, the Casa Loma boys gain or lose Glen Gray depending on which corporate parent is footing the bill, and the same performance can look like three different records if you’re flipping through a stack too quickly. Our sophisticated lady wasn’t just a song - she was a master of costume changes.

I hope you enjoyed our little stroll in and around 1933 with that sophisticated lady!

*William Powell portrayed Philo Vance in the 1933 Warner Brothers picture The Kennel Murder Case. Great flick!

Monday Side-Session; More Things That Swing

We follow up on Duke Ellington’s classic It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) with a handful of covers and remakes - and there have been a zillion.

We start right in 1932, hot on the heels of Duke’s original, with three versions from the same year...

🎙️ The Mills Brothers (Brunswick, 1932)

I really dig those early‑’30s Mills Brothers records where they imitate musical instruments and John Jr. handles the bass notes and the guitar. They make the whole thing feel like a pocket orchestra.

🎶 The Boswell Sisters (Brunswick, 1932)

The Boswell Sisters’ records just don’t sound like anything else — they’re their own little universe of harmony, rhythm, and mischief.

With Duke’s original, that makes three Brunswick versions in 1932. Not bad for a tune that had barely cooled on the bandstand!

RWK was on the cover of Time in 1927 at age 19!

🎺 Roger Wolfe Kahn & His Orchestra (Columbia, 1932)

A full‑blown early‑’30s dance‑band treatment with a croony vocal trio with ocarinas - and, if the discographers are right, a young Artie Shaw on clarinet! It’s fascinating to hear the song refracted through that pre‑Swing‑Era lens.

As with many hit songs of the 1930s, after the initial flurry of recordings, the tune went quiet for a while. Labels didn’t really remake older songs yet. But by 1939, a couple of intriguing revivals pop up...

🥁 Lionel Hampton (Victor, 1939)

Hamp was always digging up older tunes for the pickup groups he led on his Victor side-hustle while moonlighting from the Benny Goodman band. He always sounds great - pure energy.

🤠 The Tune Wranglers (Bluebird, 1939)

A Duke Ellington song played by a 1930s cowboy band? You know I'm in! It’s a blast, but vocalist Red Brown sings, “If you haven’t got that swing.” Wouldn’t you expect a cowboy to say ain’t?

Jumping ahead to the 1950s, we get three more gems...

🎤 Al Hibbler (Chess, 1951)

Former Ellington vocalist Al Hibbler sounds terrific here, and that Tricky Sam Nanton‑inspired trombone solo - maybe Matthew Gee - is a knockout!

🎙️ Mel Tormé (Coral, 1954)

This tune sits right in Mel’s wheelhouse. His version also features some Tricky Sam‑style trombone, likely courtesy of big‑band veteran Murray McEachern.

🌙 June Christy (Capitol, 1958)

The Misty Miss Christy included this on her album June’s Got Rhythm, and yes - June’s got rhythm all right!

This is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to versions of It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), but these are some of my favorites - and they all mean something.

Monday Side-Session: The Many Moods of Indigo

Yesterday, we basked in the original instrumental glory of Duke Ellington's Mood Indigo. Today, we’re flipping the script to listen to how the vocalists took over!

The song acquired lyrics almost immediately. They were ostensibly written by Irving Mills, Duke’s manager, though I always wonder how much actual lyric‑writing he did. My hunch is that he sometimes subcontracted the words while still sharing composing credit with Duke (and in this case, Barney Bigard).

We have a bunch of vocal versions, so let's get started!

The Early Pioneers (1931–1933)

The first vocal version appeared in 1931, when Lee Morse and her Blue Grass Boys recorded it for Columbia:

That's great! And of course, “Blue Grass” didn’t mean “Bluegrass” in 1931 - no fiddles or banjos!

Next came Gene Austin (of “My Blue Heaven” fame), who recorded the song for Victor:

Is that perhaps the first time a Duke Ellington number was recorded as an out‑and‑out pop song?

Also in 1932, The Three Keys cut “Mood Indigo” for Columbia:

The label notes that “Bon Bon” is one of the group members - that’s the great George Tunnell, later featured with Jan Savitt’s band, and an early example of a Black singer starring with a white band.

It’s no surprise that the jazz‑leaning Boswell Sisters got their hands on an Ellington tune, and indeed they recorded “Mood Indigo” for Brunswick in 1933:

The Bozzies always sound great and how can you beat having the Dorsey Brothers for backup?

The Duke & The Divas (1940–1941)

As we move to 1940, we come to Duke Ellington himself, who recorded a vocal version with Ivie Anderson for Columbia:

I believe that’s Duke’s first session with the brilliant Jimmy Blanton on bass and Ben Webster on tenor sax. We’ll be hearing plenty from the Blanton/Webster band as we go forward.

Moving to 1941, we have a terrific version by Dinah Shore, from a Victor album tied to the radio show NBC’s Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street.

This was early in Dinah's long and successful career, but she already had the goods!

The Mid-Century Moderns (1950s)

Now we hit the 1950s with The Four Blazes on the small United label in 1952:

So nice and smooth!

Next comes another independent label entry: The Norman Petty Trio on Nor‑Va‑Jak in 1954.

RCA Victor’s subsidiary Vik picked up that recording for national distribution, and it became a hit. Norman Petty is, of course, better known as a producer - especially for Buddy Holly and the Crickets.

Also in 1954, The Modernaires teamed with fellow big band vet Georgie Auld for this version on Coral Records:

The Mods’ doo‑wops and Georgie’s tenor sax give it a distinctly mid‑’50s flavor!

Also in 1954, Billy Eckstine (himself a big band veteran) recorded the song for MGM:

It fits Mr. B like a glove!

Then perhaps the most famous big‑band alumnus of all, Frank Sinatra, included a terrific version on his 1955 Capitol album In the Wee Small Hours:

Frank and arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle are an unbeatable combination!

The Mills Brothers finally got around to "Mood Indigo" in 1958, recording it for their album Mmmm... on Dot Records:

That really does make you go Mmmm...

Next up in 1959 is the incomparable Nat "King" Cole. who included the song on his Welcome to the Club album for Capitol:

Just great! I understand that Dave Cavanaugh is conducting the Count Basie band there!

Also in 1959, Perry Como included the song in his RCA Victor album Como Swings:

I know I've said it before, but Perry was a sneaky-hip square!

Another long-time popular singing star, Doris Day, included the tune on her 1960 album What Every Girl Should Know for Columbia:

I think Doris is underrated as a vocalist these days, since she’s best remembered as a movie star - but at least she’s remembered.

We've really only scratched the surface of this song's life. Do you prefer the early, torchy 1930s takes, or the "Wee Small Hours" sophistication of the 1950s?

Word Association Wednesday: Mountain Music

It was a pretty short trip on my train of thought from Duke’s “Old Man Blues” to the 1932 song “The Old Man of the Mountain.” Once that title popped into my head, the rest of today’s playlist practically assembled itself.

The Straight Shoot: Cab Calloway (1932)

Let’s start off with Cab Calloway’s budget-label recording. Cab sings the vocal relatively straight here - almost restrained by Cab standards - which lets his great band stretch out and show off those crisp early-’30s choruses. Even on a bargain imprint, they sound like a million bucks.

The Harmony: The Mills Brothers (1932)

Next up are The Mills Brothers, who bring their signature early-1930s blend of vocal harmony and uncanny instrument imitations. 

We're fortunate that The Mills Brothers were captured on film singing "The Old Man of the Mountain" as featured in the 1933 Paramount short "The Little Broadcast":

That's pretty awesome! The emcee is Roy Atwell, perhaps the preeminent exponent of spoonerisms prior to Doodles Weaver!

The Studio Oddity: Victor Young, The Boswells & The Mills Brothers

Things get even more interesting with this next record. It brings back The Mills Brothers, but also includes Connee Boswell and The Boswell Sisters, plus Fran Frey, all backed by Victor Young (who co-wrote the song). It’s a true crossover before crossovers existed. The “Lucky” designation likely ties it to the Lucky Strike radio shows. If anyone has the deep discographical scoop on this one, I’m all ears!

I like how Connee (still "Connie" at this point) gets a solo chorus and solo billing but also gets a hot chorus with sisters Martha and Vet! (I put this sentence in Helvetica font as a little wink to Helvetia Boswell!)

The Curveball: Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians

Now for a fun one: Fred Waring on Victor, with session singer Chick Bullock and drummer Poley McClintock chiming in as the Old Man himself. 

Waring made some wonderfully oddball novelty sides in this era - playful, tightly arranged, and just a little unhinged. It's hard to believe this is the same Fred Waring who, after a decade-long break from recording, would reemerge as the patron saint of square respectability in the 1940s!

The Visual: Betty Boop & Fleischer Surrealism

Of course, no discussion of The Old Man of the Mountain is complete without the Betty Boop cartoon. This is where the song goes full pre-Code surrealism. Through rotoscoping, Cab becomes the Old Man—slinky, supernatural, and just a little dangerous. It’s fascinating how the character shifts from a harmless hermit in the song to something far more sinister on screen.

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So that’s today’s trek - from budget labels to animated cliffside shimmies. Does the Old Man feel like a friendly neighbor to you, or does that Fleischer rotoscoping make him a little too "Mountain King" for comfort?

Word Association Wednesday: From the "Mooche" to the "Moocher"

Last Sunday, we were doing the "lazy gait" to Duke’s The Mooche. Naturally, that word leads me to only one place: the "low-down hoochy-coocher" herself, Minnie the Moocher!

The 1931 Kickoff

If Duke was the sophisticated soul of the Cotton Club, Cab Calloway was its high-voltage engine. In 1931, he and his great orchestra recorded this for Brunswick, and the "Hi-De-Ho" call-and-response became an instant cultural phenomenon.

You can still feel the heat of this track 95 years later!

Minnie Goes to Hollywood (via Animation)

As a connoisseur of vintage animation, I have to highlight the 1932 Fleischer Studios masterpiece. This cartoon is legendary because the animators used rotoscoping to trace Cab’s actual dance moves, turning him into a ghostly, swaying walrus. It is surreal, slightly spooky, and brilliant.

Here’s a link:

That's just wild! I appreciate the live-action footage at the beginning of these cartoons, as it's a rare chance to see the performers in action!

The Wedding of the Century

Minnie’s story didn't end with her "kickin' the gong around." Cab gave her a proper sequel in 1932 with Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day. It’s a high-energy celebration that proves even a "moocher" can have her day in the sun—and the band is absolutely smoking on this track!

That was easily the event of the 1932 social season!

 

But Cab wasn't the only one celebrating; his Brunswick label-mates The Boswell Sisters cut their own incredible version of the tune.

The Boswell Sisters and the Dorsey Brothers—how can you beat that combo? I love how their tight harmonies give the song a completely different kind of swing.

Between the "Mooche" (the gait) and the "Moocher" (the girl), which one makes you want to get up and move more?

"Rock and Roll" (1934) - Part 2!

As I mentioned last time, the Boswell Sisters performed “Rock and Roll” in 1934’s “Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round,” so here’s their commercial recording on Brunswick Records, backed by Jimmie Grier and his Orchestra:

They were terrific!

"We're on the Highway to Heaven" (1930)

Back to songs from early 1930s movies starring wacky comedy teams, here’s “Highway to Heaven” from 1930’s “Oh, Sailor Behave!” the debut film of Ole Olsen & Chic Johnson. 

This version by Jackie Taylor and his Orchestra offers a delightful vocal chorus by the Boswell Sisters:

 

Could use more of the Bozzies, but it’s fun!

1936: Records

We're going to hang around 1936 just a little longer to listen to some of my favorite records from that year!

Again, not necessarily the best, but here are ten that I like a lot.

So, in alphabetical order by artist, here are both sides of each 78 rpm record...

Fred Astaire's movies with Ginger Rogers always had great scores by great songwriters and Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields delivered the goods for "Swing Time":

Love Fred's tap-dancing on Side Two!

The Boswell Sisters were outstanding purveyors of close harmony. This single was one of their last before the act broke up and Connee Boswell pursued a successful solo career:

Fun take on the ubiquitous "The Music Goes 'Round and Around!"

Here's an interesting 12-inch record to promote the Bing Crosby picture "Pennies from Heaven." Side One features Frances Langford and Louis Armstrong (who was featured in the movie) in addition to Bing singing the title song, backed by Jimmy Dorsey's band. Side Two has those same artists with a medley of songs from the movie:

A lot of talent there! And dig Jimmy's alto sax chorus on the title tune!

Tommy Dorsey vocalist Edythe Wright "borrows" Dave Tough's drum kit!

Jimmy's brother Tommy Dorsey had split from the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra the year before and was now leading his own band. He had a small group within the band, the Clambake Seven, to play Dixieland-inspired music. They always sound like they're having a blast! Here's one of those records, featuring vocalist Edythe (misspelled on the label) Wright:

Love, love, love "At the Codfish Ball" especially, with tenor saxist Bud Freeman and drummer Dave Tough in top form!

Duke Ellington poses with his band including Barney Bigard (middle left) and Cootie Williams (top left).

For my money, Duke Ellington may have been the greatest musical talent of the twentieth century! He certainly was a brilliant composer and arranger with a great band of top musicians. This record features showcases for trumpeter Cootie Williams and clarinetist Barney Bigard respectively:

Cootie used "Echoes of Harlem" as his theme song when he formed his own band in the 1940s.

Like Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman also featured small groups in addition to his full band. In 1936, he had the Benny Goodman Quartet, which also featured star drummer Gene Krupa from the band and pianist Teddy Wilson and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. I can't think of any other group ever that featured such talent. Four absolute masters of their instruments. Here's a great record from them:

Will Hudson's "Moon Glow" has been recorded a zillion times, but never better!

We turn to the sweeter side with Hal Kemp's orchestra. The group had a staccato approach and I think it's a great sound and singer Skinny (later Skinnay) Ennis is perfect with the group. Skinnay takes the vocal on the first of two numbers from "Golddiggers of 1937":

Skinnay on Side One and the more conventional Bob Allen on Side Two make an interesting contrast.

Leader Andy Kirk (left) and vocalist Pha Terrell go over an arrangement with pianist Mary Lou Williams.

 

Andy Kirk had a great band that featured variations on "Clouds of Joy" as its name. He alternated ballads sung by Pha Terrell, such as this huge hit here on the A-side, with instrumentals often arranged and/or composed by the ultra-talented pianist Mary Lou Williams, such as the flipside here:

It seems that a lot of modern listeners think that ballads with vocals like "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" were necessary evils faced by swinging bands like Andy Kirk's.

But those records are part of the fabric of popular music at the time and fans liked them!

Whatever the case, this was an underrated band, I think.

Not underrated by aficionados is the tremendous band led by Jimmie Lunceford. Their not-so-secret weapon was arranging genius Sy Oliver, one of the best. This was a big hit for them:

"Organ Grinder's Swing" was another number composed by Will Hudson, who was co-leading the Hudson-DeLange Orchestra with lyricist/singer Eddie DeLange at the time.

Here's a nice early record by the Sons of the Pioneers while Roy Rogers (far right above) was still in the group. It's a couple of songs from the movie "Rhythm on the Range," in which the group appeared:

Fun take on "I'm an Old Cowhand!"

If pressed, I'd say that Benny Goodman probably had the best year on records, but Tommy Dorsey overtook him the next year.

As a bonus, here's a 1936 record from Victor featuring the full bands of Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, each with their respective take on "Star Dust":

Two great sides there! Hoagy Carmichael's tune was already a standard by then!

And for a bonus bonus, since "The Music Goes 'Round and Around" is stuck in my head, let's embrace it and listen to Mike Riley (spelled incorrectly on the label) and Eddie Farley's original hit (and its flipside) with their Onyx Club Boys:

This record was released in 1935, but was very popular in 1936!

Plenty of other great records were released in 1936, but hopefully you enjoyed these!