Monday Side-Session: Caravan Across the Century

Yesterday, we heard several versions of Juan Tizol’s classic Caravan as played by various Duke Ellington groups. For today’s side‑session, we’ll wander a little farther into the dunes and check out how other bands and artists have handled this ever‑mysterious tune.

“Caravan” might be the most recorded number in the entire Ellington band book, and from the very beginning it inspired wildly different interpretations. We’ll do a little decade‑hopping and hit some highlights.

1937: The First Wave of Covers

We start with Bunny Berigan on Victor, recorded just a couple of months after Duke’s own version:

A sharp arrangement by pianist Joe Lippman, and Bunny’s growl trumpet is absolutely convincing. He could do anything he wanted with that horn!

Next up, pianist Edgar Hayes and his band for Decca, also in 1937:

I think I say all the time that Edgar Hayes had an underrated band. I stand by that statement!

And the tune even crossed the Atlantic that same year, where Ambrose recorded it for British Decca:

Three takes from 1937, each bringing its own flavor to the journey.

1946–1949: New Rhythms, New Ideas

This caravan moves fast, so let’s hop off in 1946 to catch Charlie Barnet on the Apollo label:

Charlie could never resist an Ellington‑related number.

Then in 1948, pioneer electric guitarist Les Paul gives the tune a then‑modern facelift on this multitrack gem for Capitol:

Possibly the first guitar‑centric Caravan — but far from the last.

Next, tenor sax star Flip Phillips teams up with Latin legend Machito for this 1949 Mercury side:

I’m sure Juan Tizol approved!

1952–1953: A Curious Case of Influence

We enter the 1950s with a fascinating take by The Esquire Boys for the small Rainbow label in 1952:

A very cool reworking featuring guitarist Danny Cedrone, who would soon play the iconic solo on Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock.

Then comes the intrigue: Ralph Marterie’s hit version for Mercury in 1953.

Ralph’s record is clearly based on the Esquire Boys’ arrangement from the year before. Was it authorized? Hmmm…

Late ’50s: Stereo, Steel and Swing

Next stop: New Orleans, 1958, where Al Hirt includes an extended version on his Swingin’ Dixie! album for Audio Fidelity:

Lots of fun in early stereo!

The guitars return with Santo & Johnny, whose steel‑guitar take was recorded in 1959 and released as a single in 1960 on the Canadian-American label:

I’m a big fan of Santo & Johnny — Sleepwalk is one of my all‑time favorites.

1960s: Big Signatures from Big Names

I’m also a big fan of Pérez Prado, who cut this version for RCA Victor in 1964:

Sounds great!

Then in 1967, Bert Kaempfert records his own unmistakable take, released in the U.S. on Decca:

You could do a blindfold test and spot both Prado and Kaempfert instantly!

1976: Disco in the Dunes

A quick stop in 1976 for — of all things — a disco version of “Caravan” by Rhythm Heritage on ABC:

I was a young big‑band fan in 1976 and don’t remember hearing this one. I’m sure I would’ve been horrified, but now it’s a fun artifact of the era.

2000: A Rockabilly Blast

We end our trek as a new century dawns with Brian Setzer’s roaring take with his orchestra from the 2000 album Vavoom!:

A long ride — but worth every mile! But how do we get the sand out of all those guitar amps?

Seasonal Songs: "Summertime Blues" (1958)

Happy First Day of Summer!

To celebrate, let's listen to the greatest Summertime record of them all: "Summertime Blues" by Eddie Cochran on Liberty Records in 1958:

I think Eddie Cochran was great and that records just two minutes of awesomeness!

That record is a classic, so naturally a lot of artists have recorded their own versions over the song years, with the records by Blue Cheer and The Who being particularly popular.

Most of those other versions don't grab me, although I do appreciate the various artists wanting to put their own spin on the song.

We have to jump all the way to 1987 for another version on "Summertime Blues" that I do dig and it comes from the soundtrack of "La Bamba," the Ritchie Valens biopic.

In the movie, Rockabilly icon Brian Setzer (of The Stray Cats) appears as Eddie Cochran and performs "Summertime Blues":

I think Brian Setzer is great, so how can you go wrong? I like how the arrangement allows room for a guitar solo.

One thing I will say is that the authority figures on Brian's version sound more like the ones on Robert Gordon's 1977 version (which isn't bad, but like the 1962 Beach Boys version just kind of seems like an album track) than on Eddie's original.

We leave the Rockabilly field for one more version that I like, which is country superstar Alan Jackson's take from 1994:

I'm an Alan Jackson fan anyway and I like how they take the song and give it the feel of Alan's earlier hit "Chattahoochee" to make it sound exactly how the Alan Jackson version of "Summertime Blues" should sound!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 100 - Stray Tracks!

Wow, I can't believe this is the 100th post about "Jingle Bells!"

We are still more-or-less in contemporary times with my vote for the current King of Christmas - Brian Setzer!

Since the first release by the Brian Setzer Orchestra in 1994, the ex-Stray Cats frontman has released three Christmas studio albums, plus various live albums and DVDs and compilations. He obviously loves Christmas music!

It all got started when the BSO recorded "Jingle Bells" for the soundtrack of the 1996 movie "Jingle All the Way":

That's just a blast!

I didn't see the movie back in  the day (still haven't) and didn't pick up the soundtrack album, but I thought I got the soundtrack version on the "Merry Axemas" compilation from 1997:

Obviously it's not the same recording as this one's an instrumental, although the arrangement is very similar.

Brian then re-recorded the vocal version for his first Christmas album "Boogie Woogie Christmas" in 2002:

That sounds a lot like the soundtrack recording, but it has a few differences.

So, for quite some time, I thought that the 2002 recording was the first with a vocal and that the instrumental was on the movie soundtrack.

Luckily, I wasn't particularly hindered as I went through life under that delusion!

I think I eventually caught on when I came across Brian's 1996 video of the soundtrack recording:

That made me research the situation!

I'm guessing he cut the soundtrack vocal version and the instrumental version at the same sessions back in 1996, as both recordings have the same credits, including producer Phil Ramone.

Here's a more recent clip from 2016:

Always sounds great!

In any event, now that I've reached 100 "Jingle Bells" posts with I-don't-even-know-how many-versions in lots of genres, I'm going to branch out a bit!

But, do you have a favorite version of "Jingle Bells" that I may have omitted?