Sundays with Duke #35: Take It!

As we step into 1941 with Duke Ellington, we hit one of the absolute crown jewels of the Ellington catalogue: Billy Strayhorn’s immortal Take the ‘A’ Train.

The band recorded it for Victor in February 1941.

Let’s spin it:

Everything about this record feels perfectly balanced — Duke’s attention‑grabbing piano intro, Ray Nance’s two bright trumpet solos, and Strayhorn’s subtle yet intricate backgrounds that glide underneath the melody.

It’s the performance that announced Billy Strayhorn’s arrival to the wider music world and confirmed Ray Nance as a worthy successor to Cootie Williams.

The tune was so well‑received that it became the Ellington band’s theme song, staying in heavy rotation from then on.

Out of the countless performances, here’s a distilled playlist of some of the most notable...

Broadcast Brilliance (1951)

First up is this revised arrangement from a 1951 radio broadcast spotlighting Paul Gonsalves on tenor:

It almost sounds like a different tune — leaner, cooler, and built around Gonsalves’ long‑line phrasing.

Uptown Unleashed (1952)

Gonsalves returns on this epic version from the 1952 Columbia album Ellington Uptown, also featuring vocalist Betty Roché:

The early LP format gave Duke room to stretch out, reinventing the song with extended solos and a more dramatic arc.

Newport Nostalgia (1956)

From the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, we get a more traditional reading:

Ray Nance steps back in on trumpet, bringing that familiar sparkle.

Ella Takes the Train (1957)

Ella Fitzgerald once again joins with Duke and the band for her 1957 take from the Duke Ellington Songbook on Verve:

A blast of joy — Duke’s classic piano intro, Ella’s scatting, and the band’s playful train sound effects.

Duke in the Foreground (1960)

From Duke’s 1960 Columbia album Piano in the Background:

Despite the album title, Duke’s piano is very much in the foreground, and it’s wonderful.

Piano Royalty Meets (1962)

Staying with Columbia, here’s a track from Duke's 1962 album that teamed his band with Count Basie's band — First Time! The Count Meets the Duke:

Two titans in one studio — yet both leaders let Billy Strayhorn take the piano solos. A quiet, unmistakable sign of respect.

Ray Nance trades trumpet lines with Basie's Sonny Cohn just to keep things fair!

A Popular Performance (1966)

We wind up with Duke’s 1966 RCA Victor album The Popular Duke Ellington, which appropriately leads off with Take the "A’" Train:

Twenty‑five years after its initial departure, the train still sounds fresh!

A Cinematic Closing  — Hollywood Gets on Board (1943)

As a bonus, here's a fun clip from the 1943 Columbia picture Reveille with Beverly:

There’s young Betty Roché singing and Ray Nance showing off some dance steps. The band is shown performing on a railroad train — even though the real “A” Train was a subway line. The story goes that Duke told Strayhorn to “take the A Train” to reach his home in Sugar Hill.

Good thing Billy made the trip!

Threaded Thursday: More Nobility

Following yesterday’s deep dive into Harlem Nocturne — the Earl Hagen tune introduced by Ray Noble and his Orchestra before becoming a jazz standard — we pick up the thread with another Noble‑born classic destined to become a standard: Cherokee.

We’re doing another deep dive, but for the first few selections we’re going in reverse chronological order so we can start with the definitive version.

Barnet and Billy's Blast

And that, of course, is the classic 1939 Bluebird recording by Charlie Barnet:

That smash recording — with Billy May’s terrific arrangement and Charlie’s romping tenor — is one I’ve known forever. It showed up on just about every big‑band compilation I snapped up back in the day, and for good reason. A certified classic!

The Noblest Take (1938)

I’d always known that Ray Noble wrote Cherokee as part of his Indian Suite, but it took a while before I finally heard Ray’s own version.

Here’s his 1938 Brunswick recording:

A really lovely record — refined, elegant, almost like the older brother to Barnet’s rowdy little sibling.

Spud Sneaks In (1938)

For years I assumed Ray’s version was the first. But much later I learned that Spud Murphy actually beat him to the punch, recording Cherokee in April 1938, months before Ray’s October date. No idea why, but there it is!

Here’s Spud’s Decca side:

And yes — thank you, Internet — this was also when I learned that Spud Murphy had a band in the late ’30s. I’d only known him as an ace arranger for Benny Goodman and others.

Once Barnet’s record hit big, other bands jumped in.

The Count Doubles Down (1939)

Count Basie recorded a two‑sided Decca version later in 1939:

Another completely different take — relaxed, swinging, and very Basie.

Jimmy's Jam (1940)

And because Decca never minded issuing multiple versions of the same tune, Jimmy Dorsey got his crack at it in 1940:

Very nice — and unmistakably JD. The man could play!

Bird Breaks the Barrier (1942)

The tune’s adaptability helped make “Cherokee” a favorite among jazz musicians. The chord structure is famously tricky but incredibly rewarding for improvisers.

Charlie Parker loved it and used it as the basis for his early bebop experiments. Here’s a non‑commercial “Bird” workout from 1942:

You can hear how the world wasn’t quite ready for that in ’42 — it still astounds.

The story goes that Parker planned to record “Cherokee” for Savoy in 1945, but the label didn’t want to pay royalties (sorry, Ray). So Bird took the chords and created Ko Ko.

Let’s spin it since we're spinning:

Take a close look at the label for the eye‑popping personnel in the Ri Bop Boys.

Singing the Unsung (1942)

Back to Cherokee itself: Ray Noble also wrote lyrics, but the tune is overwhelmingly performed as an instrumental. There was one early vocal version, though — on Bluebird in 1942 by The Deep River Boys:

Very interesting — and very different.

A Sassy Switch (1956)

I don’t think another vocal version appeared until Sarah Vaughan included it — with a gender twist — on her 1956 Mercury album Sarah Vaughan in the Land of Hi‑Fi:

That really swings — and how fantastic is Cannonball Adderley on alto?

Taking "Ames" at the Classic

Let’s close with another vocal version that brings us full circle: The Ames Brothers, from their 1960 RCA Victor album The Ames Brothers Sing the Best of the Bands, with a Sid Ramin arrangement inspired by Charlie Barnet and Billy May:

An awesome finale to our twenty‑year stroll with the sweet maiden. Hope you enjoyed it!

Word Association Wednesday: Swing Meets Sophistication

For today’s Word Association Wednesday, playing off Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady, it was only a short hop to arranger/composer Will Hudson’s 1937 tune Sophisticated Swing.

The Original

At the time, Will was co‑leading the Hudson–DeLange Orchestra with lyricist Eddie DeLange, so naturally they were the first to record it.

Let’s spin their Master label version:

That is certainly sophisticated. The Hudson–DeLange band was really good - but does anyone remember them at all these days?

The Cover

Another underrated band of the period was led by pianist Edgar Hayes, who cut this version for Decca in 1937:

Edgar’s piano gives this one a lovely touch.

The Canaries Land

Like many instrumentals of the era, Sophisticated Swing eventually gained lyrics - courtesy of Mitchell Parish, the master of retrofitting words to existing melodies.

Canary Gail Reese

A vocal version was recorded by trumpet star Bunny Berigan with vocalist Gail Reese for Victor:

Bunny is the greatest, and Gail Reese was a pretty slick canary.

I actually first knew the song from this Berigan version - it was on an old LP of his I had - so I was surprised later to learn that the tune was mainly known as an instrumental, with very few vocal takes.

But here’s another one: Bob Sylvester and his Orchestra with Olga Vernon for Variety:

I don’t know much about Bob Sylvester or Olga Vernon other than Bob had worked as an arranger for Hal Kemp, but it’s a nice record. Variety was one of Irving Mills’ labels (as was Master), so I’m presuming that the Sylvester band was in the Mills stable and that he placed the song with them, since Mills Music was the publisher.

One fun difference between the two vocal versions:

– Gail Reese sings the masculine lyric: “Honey, mascara your eyebrow and come with me.”

– Olga Vernon sings the feminized version: “Let me mascara my eyebrow, my chickadee.”

Also, Olga’s vocal is front‑loaded on the record, rather than appearing in the middle like Gail’s - which was far more standard for 1937. I notice these things!

The 1940s Comeback:

After these early recordings, not much happened with the tune until it started popping up again in the late 1940s.

Les Brown recorded it in 1947 for Columbia:

A great version - it became a staple in the Band of Renown’s book.

Then Count Basie recorded another terrific version in 1948 for RCA Victor:

Not typical Basie, perhaps, but a gorgeous arrangement. I’m thinking that’s future Ellington star Paul Gonsalves on tenor.

Also from 1948, here’s a bit of a throwback by Freddy Nagel and his Orchestra — who used the tune as his theme song — on the independent VitaCoustic label, with a vocal by Jimmy Jett:

The Brown and Basie versions have that crisp post‑war sound, while Freddy Nagel leans toward an old‑school sweet style - exactly what Midwest ballroom crowds wanted.

Fun fact: future superstar Patti Page briefly sang with Freddy’s band around this time!

The Fifties Bands

After this last vocal version, later recordings returned to the instrumental tradition — like this 1950 Decca version by veteran bandleader Russ Morgan:

An interesting record. I don’t hear the melody much, but there’s plenty of Russ’s trademark wah‑wah trombone. Unlike most 1930s bandleaders, Russ was at his peak in the  late 40s/ early ’50s.

The early 1950s also saw a wave of younger bandleaders making a splash. One of the most successful was Les Elgart, who used Sophisticated Swing as the title track of his 1953 Columbia debut:

That album was a huge hit and helped make Elgart one of the most popular bands on the college circuit.

I think the version that ultimately made it into the most homes was Jimmy Dorsey’s 1957 recording for Fraternity Records - because it was the flip side of his smash hit “So Rare.”

Let’s spin JD’s version:

It has a haunting quality. This was the second version I knew - I had/have the “So Rare” 45 (not when it was actually a hit, thank you very much) and played both sides a lot.

The Fifties Become the Fifties

I’m presuming Jimmy’s version helped spark the next couple of late‑’50s recordings, both of which take the tune on a bit of a wild ride into the new sounds of the day!

First up: ace country pianist Floyd Cramer, who used it as the flip side of his 1958 RCA Victor single “Flip Flop and Bop”:

A very snappy version - if not exactly sophisticated.

Next, also from 1958, The Applejacks on Cameo Records:

The wildest reinvention yet - a full‑on sock‑hop stroll.

The Boppy 1960s

We return to a jazzier approach with Red Garland’s quartet on the 1962 Jazzland album Solar:

A nice, bop‑ish take.

And we close with a return to the big‑band sound - but with a modern twist - courtesy of organ great Shirley Scott, who included it on her 1966 Impulse! album Roll ’Em:

Not lost on me is that Shirley titled her big‑band salute album after a Mary Lou Williams number. This time, Shirley Scott swings the band!

I can’t imagine that in 1937 Will Hudson thought his tune would travel through so many variations in thirty‑odd years. But as long as they spelled his name right on the royalty checks, who's complaining?

You know, this post started as a quick word association to spotlight the Hudson–DeLange record and maybe Bunny Berigan's… and wound up with an extra dozen versions thrown in. Funny how a tune meant to be a one‑off mention ends up dragging half the record shelf with it.

But honestly… would we have it any other way?

Happy Jackie Robinson Day!

Today is Jackie Robinson Day for Major League Baseball, marking the anniversary of Jackie's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

To help mark the occasion, let's spin Count Basie's great cover of Buddy Johnson's Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?, recorded with Taps Miller for RCA Victor in 1949:

That's trumpeter Taps Miller on the vocal. Just pure joy!

Word Association Wednesday: Getting Misty

Following Sunday’s trip through the fog with Duke’s Misty Mornin’,my brain naturally stayed in the clouds. Sometimes the word association is so iconic you just have to go with the heavyweight champ: Erroll Garner and his 1954 masterpiece, Misty.

But Misty didn't just stay a piano solo; it became a vehicle for some of the greatest instrumentalists in the game.

The Original: Erroll Garner (1954)

Legend has it Garner composed this in his head while watching a rainbow through the hazy window of a plane. Since he couldn't read music, he had to hum it to himself all the way to a piano! 

Let's spin the Mercury record with his trio:

Dig that "behind the beat" left hand!

The Contemporary Cover: Richard Hayman (1955)

If you take a look at the sheet music at the top of the page, you'll notice that it mentions both Erroll's and Richard Hayman's recordings of the tune - both on Mercury Records. Me being me, I feel the need to give Richard Hayman's version a whirl!

Here he is with harmonica and orchestra from 1955:

Richard Hayman certainly had a way of taking the novelty out of the harmonica to play a smooth ballad!

The Big Band Bloom: Count Basie (1960)

By 1960, the Atomic-era Basie band took a crack at it for the "Dance Along with Basie" album on Roulette Records. This version features a gorgeous, deep-timbered solo by baritone saxophonist Charlie Fowlkes:

That's just wonderful! Charlie was the anchor of the Basie reed section for decades, and he makes that big horn sound as light as air here.

The Soul-Jazz Burner: Richard "Groove" Holmes (1966)

If you think Misty is just a sleepy ballad, Groove Holmes is here to change your mind. He puts the tune on the Hammond B-3 organ, kicks the bass pedals, and absolutely cooks it. It’s Misty with some serious groove:

Whether it’s the piano genius of Erroll, the smooth harmonica of Richard Hayman, the big-band swing of Basie and Fowlkes, or the soul-jazz organ of Groove Holmes—they can all play Misty for me!

Which version is clear as a bell to you?

I'll throw it out there to say that the model on Groove's LP looks the mistiest!

For a little bonus, here's a link  to Erroll Garner playing Misty on the Ed Sullivan show in 1961:

Nice!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 54 - Ella!

As we continue with "Jingle Bells," we run into Ella Fitzgerald!

We recently heard her singing with bandleader Chick Webb, with whom she had made her reputation. After Webb's death in 1939, Ella took over the band for a few years before launching her brilliant solo career.

I never really "got" this artwork!

As with most singers of the day, Ella recorded a Christmas album, the terrific "Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas" on Verve Records in 1960.

From that album is this single, featuring "Jingle Bells":

She definitely delivers on her promise of a swinging Christmas! Solid accompaniment from arranger/conductor Frank De Vol!

The flipside of that single features the Count Basie number "Good Morning Blues":

I think that's an intriguing choice!

I always thought it was interesting that the title of the song "Good Morning Blues" does not indicate in any way that it's Christmas-related. 

Ella starts the song with the Christmas verse to make it more of a Christmas song, which is not how Count Basie recorded it. And the sheet music for Ella's version throws Santa in the subtitle!

Here's Basie's original, on Decca Records from 1937, featuring the great Jimmy Rushing with the vocal:

That's an awesome record, but you wouldn't know it's Christmas-related until almost the end!

The label of this later reissue shows the band members:

Wow, that is a tremendous lineup!

Count Basie later had another great blues singer in the person of Joe Williams and they cut a great version of "Good Mornin' Blues" (losing a G along the way) for Roulette Records in 1959:

So, some awesome recordings of that song!

Back to Ella, her 1960 album is a must, but she also had recorded a Christmas single for Verve Records in 1959 with a more mellow backing from Russ Garcia.

The A-side is "The Secret of Christmas," which was introduced by Bing Crosby in the then-current movie "Say One for Me":

Very lovely!

The flip side is "The Christmas Song" in a totally different arrangement from that on the album:

Ella never disappoints!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 33 - Big Band Royalty!

To break away from the kiddie records versions of "Jingle Bells" for a bit, we jump ahead to 1962 with some great jazzy recordings of the tune by two of the greatest bandleaders ever!

First up is Duke Ellington with this track from the 1962 "Jingle Bell Jazz" album on Columbia Records:

That's awesome!

At some point, an alternate version of "Jingle Bells" by Duke popped up. It's decidedly different and I remember being surprised by it when I first heard it, as it was not noted as such. I think it was on this reissue:

Also awesome!

We go from the Duke to the Count, as Count Basie had this recording of " Basie's Jingle Bells" on the Roulette label, also in 1962:

That's as great as a record with that title should be!

I don't know if that had a stock 45 rpm release or just the radio promo version.

Count Basie had recorded a live version the year before at Birdland. I'm not sure when that was originally released, but I first encountered it on this CD:

That's great too!

For a bonus, here's a recent recording by the Count Basie Orchestra from 2015:

Some great stuff from great bandleaders still laying it down in the early 1960s!