While searching for the lyrics to Perdido on Monday, you may recall that we ran across a fun bop vocal version by Dave Lambert and Buddy Stewart. So let’s pull that thread and go back to the first record by the duo.
G‑Noters and a New Bop Tune
We land in 1945, when both singers were with Gene Krupa’s band as part of the G‑Noters vocal group. Dave composed a bop tune for the band called What’s This, which he and Buddy scat‑sang rather than the band performing it as an instrumental.
Let’s spin the Krupa band’s Columbia recording:
That’s a blast! Dave and Buddy blend beautifully, and we get boppish solos from Charlie Ventura on tenor sax and Don Fagerquist on trumpet woven in.
The Duo Steps Out
Dave and Buddy stayed together after leaving Krupa, performing and recording with bop musicians and carving out a little corner of the vocal‑bop world that still feels fresh.
Here they perform a live version of Lambert's Deedle in 1949 with no less than Charlie Parker:
A Gentle Spoof
They also made this fun record with Charlie Barnet’s band for Capitol in 1949, gently spoofing the craze with Be-Bop Spoken Here:
Dave and Buddy show they were good sports, having fun with the Matty Malneck and Milton DeLugg song.
A Joy Cut Short
Tragically, Buddy Stewart died in an automobile accident in 1950, but the joy he brought to these records lives on.
