Following yesterday’s Day Dream — which began life as an instrumental from a Johnny Hodges–led unit inside the Duke Ellington orchestra — let’s spin a couple more dreams from the small groups.
These sides were recorded in 1939 while Duke was still under contract to Columbia, but they didn’t hit the shelves until 1940, after he moved to Victor. That little overlap period produced some of the most relaxed, beautifully lit small‑group moments in the whole Ellington universe.
Just Another Dream — Barney Bigard (Okeh, June 1939)
This one is exactly what the title promises: Just Another Dream, carried almost entirely on Barney Bigard’s clarinet. It’s practically a solo feature from start to finish — a soft, wandering little reverie with Barney’s tone floating like a lantern in a quiet room.
Dream Blues — Johnny Hodges & (Vocalion, September 1939)
Then Johnny steps back in for Dream Blues, and his alto does what it always does: it brings the dream, and it brings the blues. Hodges could make even a simple phrase feel like a velvet curtain being pulled open.
These small‑group sides always feel like a gift — a chance for the individual sidemen to stretch out, breathe, and let their personalities shine without the full orchestra swirling around them.
Musician Roll Call
Both tracks use nearly identical instrumentation, with the spotlight shifting depending on who’s leading the date:
Barney Bigard group (June):
Rex Stewart (cornet) and Juan Tizol (valve trombone) support Barney’s clarinet.
Johnny Hodges group (September):
Cootie Williams (trumpet) and Lawrence Brown (trombone) join Johnny’s alto.
As we linger in 1940 with Duke Ellington, we come across
an early classic from his assistant Billy Strayhorn — Day Dream.
Johnny on Bluebird (1940)
Billy wrote Day Dream as a showcase for the
lush alto of Johnny Hodges, who recorded it as leader of a smaller Ellington
unit in November 1940.
Let’s spin that Bluebird disc:
A couple of things about the label credits: Duke receives co‑writing
credit even though Billy was the sole composer, and the label helpfully reminds
us that this is indeed an Ellington unit!
Duke didn’t record a studio version at the time — Johnny had
already said everything that needed saying — but he kept the tune in the band
book for radio broadcasts and personal appearances.
Lyrics Arrive (1941)
Day Dream acquired lyrics fairly quickly. John
Latouche added them, and the title was slightly adjusted to Day-Dream.
The only contemporary version I can find is this 1941 Decca
side by Jimmy Dorsey with Bob Eberly:
It works quite well as a pop tune, so I’m surprised no other
band picked up on it. I wonder if JD was intrigued by Johnny Hodges’ solo and
wanted to try the tune himself — he does well by it!
LP Era Awakening (1956)
As we’ve seen with other slow-burning standards, Day Dream
didn’t get much traction otherwise until the mid‑1950s, when the LP era really
began to bloom.
Duke finally cut a proper studio version in 1956 for his
Bethlehem album Duke Ellington Presents…:
It doesn’t take long to know that Johnny Hodges is on this
track.
June Floats In (1956)
The next vocal version also arrived in 1956, as June Christy
featured the song on her Capitol album The Misty Miss Christy:
Quite lovely — verse and all.
I think that Warehouse law dictates that I always refer to June Christy's as the Misty Miss Christy, so this time the actual album title did me a solid!
Coop’s Misty Instrumental (1958)
Interestingly, June’s husband, tenor saxist Bob Cooper,
recorded an instrumental version in 1958 for his Contemporary album Coop:
Also actually pretty misty.
Ella Checks In (1957)
We back up to 1957 to check in with our good friend Ella
Fitzgerald, who recorded a lovely version for her Duke Ellington Songbook
on Verve — this time with the Ellington band, including Billy Strayhorn on
piano:
And of course, Johnny Hodges is featured.
Jo Joins the Dream (1960)
Moving to 1960, the wonderful vocalist Jo Stafford recorded Day
Dream for her Columbia album Jo + Jazz:
And yes, Johnny Hodges is featured in this cut as well!
Johnny and Billy Return to the Source (1962)
Then in 1962, Johnny recorded another instrumental take with
Billy Strayhorn for their Verve album:
Another lovely version.
Billy's Solo Dream (1963)
Then Billy recorded a solo piano version for his 1963 United Artists The Peaceful Side:
Quite peaceful, with nice vocalese backing from the Paris Blue Notes.
Joya’s Twist (1965)
Things take an interesting turn when former Ellington
vocalist Joya Sherrill recorded the song for her 1965 20th Century Fox album Sings
Duke. Give a listen and I’ll explain:
You may notice that there’s no sax on that track at all. The
main accompanist is Ellington stalwart Ray Nance on violin. The funny thing —
Johnny Hodges plays on some of the other songs from the album!
Also, the label and liner notes from the original LP show
the song as Day Dreams and credit only Duke as composer, even though the
actual composer, Billy Strayhorn, plays piano on the track!
Note: By this point, the song title had been listed as
Day Dream, Day‑Dream, and Daydream, so why not add an S!
Ray Returns (1966)
Ray Nance and his violin were back in the studio in 1966
with Duke for this lovely, unissued‑at‑the‑time recording:
Ray was first and foremost a trumpet player, but his violin
graced many tracks over the years.
Full Circle (1968)
We come full circle as Duke and the full orchestra — with
Johnny Hodges — record a gorgeous take for the 1968 RCA Victor album of Strayhorn compositions …And
His Mother Called Him Bill:
I can’t hear Johnny’s alto gliding through Day Dream
enough. Billy Strayhorn was onto something back in 1940 — and every version
since just proves the point!
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.
We’re still parked in 1940 with Duke Ellington, and we’ve hit another classic:In a Mellotone.
Let’s spin the original Victor recording:
Johnny Hodges and Cootie Williams are in peak form — Cootie even slips in a sly quote from Never No Lament at the tail end of his solo — but it’s Jimmie Blanton’s bass that steals the spotlight. His lines practically glow.
From Mellotone to Mellow Tone
Duke kept the tune in the band’s book throughout the 1940s, but the song found a second life in the 1950s when producer Milt Gabler added lyrics and nudged the title toward the now-familiar In a Mellow Tone.
Milt had The Mills Brothers record it for Decca in 1955 with Sy Oliver arranging:
It’s a delight — how can you beat the Mills/Oliver combination?
Funny that it took fifteen years for someone to add lyrics — the melody practically chants “in a mellow tone” on its own.
Ella Steps In
Once lyrics existed, Ella Fitzgerald naturally grabbed the tune for her 1957 Duke Ellington Songbook album — one of my favorite playgrounds:
Ella stretches out beautifully here, weaving between the written lyrics and her trademark scat. And yes, Ben Webster is still along for the ride, adding that warm velvet to the edges.
Duke Revisits the Instrumental
Duke circled back to the tune in 1960 for his Columbia album Blues in Orbit, keeping it strictly instrumental:
By this point, the “Mellow Tone” title had fully overtaken the original “Mellotone” spelling — the mellow won.
Louis Joins the Party
Duke recorded another instrumental version in 1961 with Louis Armstrong on Recording Together for the First Time — another favorite playground:
It’s interesting that Louis doesn’t sing the lyrics — even though they existed by then — yet he scats on Cotton Tail, which didn’t have lyrics. Satchmo gonna Satchmo.
And just to keep us on our toes, the label lists the tune as In a Mellowtone!
Here's a link to Duke and Louis performing the song in 1961 on The Ed Sullivan Show:
It's great that so many Sullivan shows were preserved so we can enjoy seeing these wonderful artists!
Betty's Baby
As far as I can tell, Duke never recorded a version using Milt Gabler’s lyrics. But things get wonderfully twisty when we get to Betty Roché, whose specialty with the Ellington band featured a totally different set of lyrics.
Here’s a 1953 live recording of Betty singing the Baby, You and Me variant:
The announcer mentions the lyrics and title change at the beginning and says it's "soon to be released" at the end — but I can't figure out what release he's referring to!
As far as I can tell, Duke never cut a studio version of that variation, but Betty did — for Bethlehem in 1956:
And here’s the fun part: Bethlehem kept the title In a Mellow Tone and even credited Milt Gabler, despite the lyrics being completely different. I’m guessing Milt didn’t write both sets… but you know we love a little label intrigue!
Billy Brings the Moves
We close out with a wonderfully wacky take on the tune, as Billy May turns it into a cha‑cha for his 1960 Capitol album Cha Cha!:
Billy was well‑known for his sense of humor, and it absolutely shows here — the arrangement is playful, brassy, and just a little mischievous. And what a good sport he was to pose for the album cover in that get‑up. The man committed to the bit!
Whatever the Title…
Whether it’s Mellotone, Mellow Tone, Mellowtone or even Baby, You and Me, one thing stays constant — the tone is mellow!
For today's WAW, from Sunday’s Cotton Tail, it’s a short hop to a bunny — and an even shorter hop to The Bunny Hop!
🐇 Hoppin' In
Let’s start with co-songwriter Ray Anthony’s big Capitol hit from late 1952, featuring vocalists Tommy Mercer and Marcie Miller:
A lot of fun — pure early‑’50s party energy!
Capitol knew they had something, so in early 1953 Ray cut an instrumental version:
Also fun — and to me, that’s the definitive version. I knew the instrumental for years and didn’t even realize there had been a vocal take until it popped up on a Ray Anthony CD compilation in the early 1990s.
🎹 Duke … Doing What Now?
Capitol wasn’t done hopping. In 1954, they had Duke Ellington — of all people — record — of all things —Bunny Hop Mambo:
I can totally understand Capitol’s A&R folks thinking it’d be clever to combine two crazes of the moment — Mambo and The Bunny Hop — but I still can’t wrap my head around why they handed it to Duke Ellington.
Still, it’s a fun record, played with absolute precision by the band. Only Ellington could make a novelty‑mambo hybrid sound like a fully professional chart.
But it's like two of my worlds colliding!
🤠 Hepcats Hop In
If you look closely at the fine print on the EP cover at the top, you’ll see Capitol had another Bunny Hop up their sleeve: a 1953 version by Cliffie Stone and his Hometown Hepcats:
That one’s also a blast — a Western Swing vibe filtered through Capitol’s pop‑novelty lens.
📺 Bonus Hop: Ray on TV
For a little extra fun, here’s Ray Anthony performing the tune on his TV show:
Since we’ve been enjoying Duke Ellington classics from 1940 — including yesterday’s Cotton Tail— the first year of Duke’s new Victor contract, I thought today’s Side‑Session could rewind to what was literally the band’s first session for Victor...
It took place on March 6, yielding masters of five different tunes. The date shows off the band’s versatility and gives space for the vocalists and sidemen to shine.
“You, You Darlin’”
This was Herb Jeffries’ first recorded vocal with the band. He's obviously a polished professional, bringing another level of sophistication to the table.
Herb was Duke’s first regularly featured male vocalist, paving the way for Al Hibbler and later Jimmie Grissom.
Billy Strayhorn’s lovely arrangement gives solo spots to Ben Webster on tenor and Lawrence Brown on trombone.
“Jack the Bear”
A complete shift in direction. Duke’s arrangement gives generous space to the astounding Jimmie Blanton, who opens and closes the tune with those unmistakable bass lines. Barney Bigard on clarinet and Tricky Sam Nanton on trombone deliver their usual rock‑solid solos.
“Ko‑Ko”
Jimmie and Tricky Sam keep the momentum going here. I also love Juan Tizol’s valve trombone repeating the main melody — hearing the distinct trombone personalities of Juan, Tricky Sam, and Lawrence Brown across different records is one of the joys of this era.
“Morning Glory"
A perfect showcase for Rex Stewart’s cornet — the tune fits him like a glove.
Morning Glory was paired with Jack the Bear on the original single release. A very good deal for fans!
“So Far, So Good”
Another non‑Ellington pop tune arranged by Strayhorn, this time featuring Ivie Anderson. She delivers another typically strong vocal, and Harry Carney adds a warm baritone sax solo.
This one was paired with You, You Darlin’ on the two sides of the 78‑rpm single. These pop tunes highlight the band’s versatility and provide a nice contrast to the justly celebrated instrumental originals.
Bonus Flip Side — “Conga Brava”
Since Ko‑Ko didn’t get a platter partner on March 6, let’s not leave it stranded! Its flip side was Conga Brava, recorded nine days later.
The title alone tells you Juan Tizol must have collaborated, and you can hear his valve trombone throughout. Barney, Ben and Rex also get solo space.
A Six‑Tune Snapshot
Quite a variety across these six sides — lots of great solos, lots of personality. And we only heard Cootie Williams briefly on Jack the Bear, while Johnny Hodges didn’t get a solo on any of them. That’s how deep the band was!
Warehouse Whispers
There may be a very good reason why Morning Glory fit Rex Stewart so well...
The story goes that Rex actually composed the melody, but lost it to Duke in a poker game. True or not, it’s a great tale!
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 asKing of the Tenorson 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 albumSing 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!"
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!
