Monday Side-Session: More from the Heart

We follow up on Duke Ellington’s 1938 classic I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart with a parade of covers and remakes — and boy, did they come fast and furious. Duke’s original was an instrumental, but the lyrics by Henry Nemo, John Redmond and Irving Mills (?) caught fire almost instantly. Of all the Ellington tunes that sprouted lyrics after the fact, this is the one where I can’t not hear the words when the band plays the melody. If you know what I mean!

Let's start spinning...

Hot Lips Page (Bluebird)

Most of the 1938 responses were vocal versions, but let’s start with an instrumental detour. Here’s trumpeter Hot Lips Page with a Bluebird side that jumps right out of the speakers:

He had hot lips all right!

Now the canaries take over with four stellar vocal renditions from that same whirlwind year.

Mildred Bailey (Brunswick)

Mildred is backed by the band of her then‑husband Red Norvo. It’s always fun to compare the sides issued under Mildred’s name with the ones issued under Red’s name with Mildred as the vocalist. The “solo” sides let her stretch out in ways the Norvo discs sometimes don’t.

Connie Boswell (Decca)

Such a wonderful stylist — that rhythmic ease, that conversational glide. Connie never forces this tune; she just lets it bloom.

June Richmond with Jimmy Dorsey (Decca)

June Richmond was likely the first Black singer to be featured regularly with a major white band. She was no novelty — she could sing — but the public wasn’t ready, and her stay with Jimmy was far too short.

This record also gives Jimmy plenty of alto space, which makes for a fascinating comparison with Johnny Hodges. Johnny admired JD’s tone and technique, and you can hear why.

Martha Tilton with Benny Goodman (Victor)

The biggest vocal hit of the tune in 1938. Prime BG, with a sparkling Edgar Sampson arrangement and the Liltin' Miss Tilton in peak form.

I love how each of these women puts her own stamp on the song.

To hear a male vocalist tackle it in 1938, we have to cross the Atlantic...

Mantovani with Ken Crossley (Columbia UK)

Annunzio Mantovani was so associated with lush postwar mood music that it’s easy to forget how jaunty his 1930s records can sound!

Now let’s time‑hop to 1954 for a pair of male vocalists who each brought their own distinctive style to the tune.

Al Hibbler (Norgran)

Former Ellington vocalist Hibbler sounds terrific here, and the arrangement is pure Ellingtonia.

Billy Eckstine (MGM)

You know I’m all over any record of Billy singing an Ellington tune!

We go from Mr. B to Miss D to show that the ladies were still at it in the ’50s...

Dinah Washington (EmArcy/Mercury, 1954)

An extended version from After Hours with Miss D gives Dinah and the band a chance to really pour out their hearts.

Ella Fitzgerald (Verve, 1957)

From her magnificent Duke Ellington Songbook. Ella makes the melody feel inevitable, with great support from Ben Webster on tenor and Barney Kessel on guitar.

Let's wrap up with one more instrumental version...

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis with Shirley Scott (Prestige)

Tenor man "Lockjaw" and organist Shirley romp through the tune in awesome 1959 stereo from the album Jaws.

So: lots of songs from lots of hearts. Which one makes your heart sing?

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!

Threaded Thursday: The Fabulous Dorseys

After yesterday’s deep dive into Tommy Dorsey’s theme song, I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You, let’s keep the Dorsey theme song thread spinning.

Sandman Steps In (1934)

First up is the Dorsey Brothers’ theme, Sandman, recorded for Decca in 1934 with Kay Weber on vocal:

Another sharp Glenn Miller arrangement for the band — but interestingly, the theme doesn’t spotlight either brother. No Tommy trombone, no Jimmy alto or clarinet. A theme song without a Dorsey solo is a curious choice, especially in hindsight.

A Goodman Glow-Up (1935)

For contrast, here’s Benny Goodman’s 1935 Victor recording of Sandman:

Fletcher Henderson’s arrangement is so different from Miller’s that it almost feels like a different tune entirely. Same title, same bones — but the swing DNA shifts dramatically.

Jimmy Finds His Theme: “Contrasts” (1940)

Jimmy kept Sandman as his theme for a while after Tommy left the band, but by 1940 he had adopted the much more familiar Contrasts, recorded for Decca:

A gorgeous showcase for Jimmy’s alto — elegant, fluid, unmistakably JD.

Before the Contrast: “Oodles of Noodles” (1932)

I’d known Contrasts forever, but I’d always heard it was adapted from an earlier Dorsey Brothers–era piece called Oodles of Noodles. It took me years to finally hear the original.

Let’s spin Jimmy’s 1932 Brunswick recording:

When I first played it, I spent the opening 40 seconds thinking, “How on earth is this related to Contrasts?” It’s all noodling, noodling, noodling — and then suddenly, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a saxophone case, there it is. Contrasts appears, fully formed and waving politely!

Percy Faith Serves It Up (1949)

For a fun contrast to JD’s version, here’s Percy Faith’s 1949 RCA Victor orchestral take:

Not the first tune you’d expect to get the lush‑strings treatment, but somehow it works — a surprisingly graceful expansion of the idea. Kind of like a fancy, gourmet version of your favorite diner dish!

A Hidden Recipe (1947)

But there’s always more digging to be dug! Percy Faith actually had an earlier arrangement of “Oodles of Noodles” that he never recorded commercially — but he did feature it on a 1947 episode of Buddy Clark’s Contented Hour (retitled as "Melody Hour" for AFRS to avoid the Carnation sponsor reference) radio show:

This one plays like a midpoint between Percy’s later orchestral version and Jimmy’s Contrasts, with Al Gallodoro turning in a terrific alto feature.

It’s also interesting that Buddy refers to Oodles of Noodles — not Contrasts — as JD’s theme. He even nods to The Fabulous Dorseys, the biopic released that same year.

Oodles of Fun

I had oodles of fun with these records — hope you did too!

Word Association Wednesday: Gettin’ Sentimental

 

Spinning off Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” for this week’s Word Association, my mind jumps straight to Tommy Dorsey - The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing - and his classic theme, I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You.

Let’s trace Tommy’s long relationship with the tune, starting at the very beginning.

The 1932 Seed - The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra (Brunswick)

Tommy first recorded the song in 1932 with brother Jimmy on Brunswick:

This early version, with Jean Bowes on vocal, is a gem. What fascinates me is how much of Tommy’s later signature arrangement is already here - the cold open, the first chorus, the general shape of the thing. The first minute is like hearing the blueprint before the mansion gets built.

At this point, Tommy and Jimmy were still top‑tier studio musicians, and the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra existed only as a studio group. The full‑time band wouldn’t come until 1934.

The 1935 Revisit - The Dorsey Brothers on Decca

With the new working band, the brothers took another swing at the tune, this time with Bob Crosby on vocal:

No familiar cold‑open trombone here - instead, Jimmy’s alto sneaks in first.

Young Bob Crosby is clearly leaning toward his brother Bing’s phrasing, but he’d soon grow into his own sound once he began leading his own band.

Not long after this session, the famous Dorsey blow‑up happened: Tommy walked off the bandstand, Jimmy kept the group, and Tommy struck out on his own.

The 1936 Breakthrough - Tommy Dorsey’s Victor Classic

And here it is - the version that became the theme. Tommy’s 1936 Victor recording is one of those sides that practically defines the era. The tone, the phrasing, the poise… it’s the sound of a bandleader stepping into his identity.

The 1947  Version - Slower, Longer... and a Little Mysterious

Tommy recorded a slightly revised version of the song for RCA Victor in 1947:

This one has some intrigue. It’s played slower, stretching past four minutes - too long for a standard 10‑inch 78. It seems the first release was an edited version tucked into the 1951 Theme Songs album set.

The full performance didn’t surface widely until the 1960s, on the Reader’s Digest box The Great Band Era. A legendary set!

The 1953 Decca Update — A New Coat of Paint

By the early ’50s, Tommy was back at Decca and cut a refreshed take on his theme.

I wouldn’t claim this equals the 1936 version - few things do - but it’s charming in its own right, especially with the added chorus and the more modern sheen.

A Constant Through Every Version

Across all five recordings, one thing never wavers: Tommy’s trombone. For my dough, no other musician - on any instrument - could make something feel so intimate, so direct, so... sentimental. It’s a masterclass in emotional clarity.

Bonus: Spike Crashes the Party (1948)

Before we leave the tune, we have to check out Spike Jones’s 1948 parody for RCA Victor:

Listeners in ’48 would’ve instantly recognized Tommy’s theme, which makes the little TD imitation gone wrong all the funnier. Spike always knew exactly where to place his barbs.

And after all that… yeah, I’m gettin’ sentimental too.

Side‑Session Monday: More Sentimental Moods

Following up on Duke Ellington’s standard In a Sentimental Mood, today’s side‑session rounds up some (then) contemporary covers along with a handful of later remakes.

Goodman Gets Moody

Duke’s version was released in 1935, and by 1936 a whole wave of bands jumped on the tune — mostly as an instrumental. First up, Benny Goodman on Victor:

A typically great Goodman record of a Jimmy Mundy arrangement. Murray McEachern sounds wonderful on trombone.

Jimmy Joins In

Jimmy Dorsey’s version for Decca features an even more prominent trombone — Bobby Byrne even gets (slightly misspelled) label credit:

Bobby replaced Tommy Dorsey after Tommy left the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Byrne was a fine trombonist and later a bandleader himself, but he couldn’t really compete with Tommy in either category — though honestly, who could?

Pollack’s Parade of Stars

Ben Pollack also recorded the tune for Irving Mills’ Variety label, featuring the great clarinetist Irving Fazola:

Pollack was never quite a top‑tier bandleader, but the roster of future stars who passed through his band is astounding. Around this time, Glenn Miller, Harry James, Charlie Spivak and Freddie Slack were all on the payroll!

McDonough’s Pickup Perfection

Ace studio guitarist Dick McDonough led some pickup groups for the ARC line of budget labels, which still managed to feature top musicians — including trumpeter Bunny Berigan:

This session also includes Toots Mondello on clarinet, Adrian Rollini doing double‑duty on vibes and bass sax, and that steady beat courtesy of the great Cozy Cole on drums.

Mills Adds the Missing Lyrics

Yesterday I mentioned that In a Sentimental Mood had lyrics by Manny Kurtz (AKA Mann Curtis) and Irving Mills, though Duke never recorded a vocal version. Mills did, however, have The Mills Blue Rhythm Band cut it with vocalist Chuck Richardson:

Lucky Millinder leads the band, and the lineup includes such stars as Henry “Red” Allen on trumpet, J.C. Higginbotham on trombone, Tab Smith on sax, and Edgar Hayes on piano.

Collectively, these 1936 recordings feature a ton of talent!

We encounter another high level of talent as we move into 1937 for an instrumental version by the Quintette of the Hot Club of France featuring guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli on the HMV label:

Pretty cool to hear Stéphane take on the tune 25 years or so before his 1963 recording session with Duke

Mr. B’s Velvet Version

The tune became a standard and has been remade many times, but we have to jump ahead to 1948 for another notable vocal version. It’s worth the wait — Billy Eckstine wraps his velvet baritone around the tune for the National label:

There’s something about Mr. B singing an Ellington melody that’s pure magic.

Tommy's Sentimental Trombone

Since we’re already time‑traveling, let’s stop in the 1950s for a couple more instrumental versions of note. The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing, Tommy Dorsey, finally recorded his own version for Decca in 1953:

This was the title track of TD’s album In a Sentimental Mood, and the tune fits his trombone style like a glove.

Hackett's Mellow Mood

Another great musician, cornetist Bobby Hackett, included the song as a track on his 1955 Capitol album In a Mellow Mood:

An absolutely gorgeous nightcap for our little sentimental stroll!

Do you have a favorite version? Let me know in the comments.

Threaded Thursday: Flipping the Daybreak

Yesterday we enjoyed five versions of the song Daybreak, and it struck me that each of those records also had a very strong flipside. So let’s keep the thread rolling and give those five flips their moment in the sun.

Tommy Dorsey’s Victor disc paired Daybreak with his massive hit There Are Such Things, with The Pied Pipers joining Frank Sinatra on the vocal:

Just a gorgeous record. Nobody could float a ballad quite like Tommy’s band.

Jimmy Dorsey also had a blockbuster on the reverse of his Decca release - Brazil, with Bob Eberly and Helen O’Connell:

Another gem in Jimmy’s run of Latin‑flavored smashes: Bob opens with a slow, romantic chorus, Jimmy slips in an alto sax solo, and Helen brings it home with that bright, rhythmic lift. Ace arranger Tutti Camarata was a wizard at stitching those elements together.

Over on Columbia, the flip of Harry James’ record gives us Manhattan Serenade, sung by the preeminent Helen of the band era - Helen Forrest:

Harry and Helen were simply unbeatable together!

Bob Carroll returns on Capitol with Gordon Jenkins for There Will Never Be Another You:

This one comes from the 20th Century Fox Sonja Henie film Iceland, written by the powerhouse team of Mack Gordon and Harry Warren, who were on a remarkable streak for Fox at the time.

And finally, we turn over Roberto Inglez’s Parlophone disc to find his take on the Cole Porter classic Begin the Beguine:

You truly never know what’s waiting on the other side of a record. That’s why we always flip ’em over at the Warehouse!

Word Association Wednesday: Day Keeps Breaking

For today’s Word Association Wednesday, we simply take the “Daybreak” from Daybreak Express and wind up with the popular 1942 song Daybreak.

The tune takes Ferde Grofé’s “Mardi Gras” theme from his 1925 Mississippi Suite and adds lyrics by Harold Adamson, resulting in a brand‑new hit song nearly two decades later. And all the major labels jumped on it!

The most popular version was recorded by Tommy Dorsey for Victor, featuring a young vocalist named Frank Sinatra:

Tommy’s band was really something. And that boy singer showed promise. Whatever became of him anyway?

Of course, Decca needed to get in on the action, so they had their own Dorsey brother, Jimmy, record it with his star vocalist Bob Eberly:

It’s always interesting comparing Tommy and Jimmy’s versions of the same song — and comparing Frank Sinatra and Bob Eberly while we’re at it. Bob was probably the more popular band singer at the time, and Frank reportedly left Tommy to start a solo career partly because he thought Bob might leave Jimmy’s band first and beat him to it!

Columbia also wanted a slice of the sunrise, so they handed “Daybreak” to their top bandleader, Harry James. His version features vocalist Johnny McAfee:

I like Johnny McAfee a lot — he’s obviously not as famous as Frank or Bob, but he had a lovely, warm sound. He also played sax, but as a romantic singer he was more in the Kenny Sargent mold than the Tex Beneke mold, as far as singing sax sideman go.

The new Capitol label joined the parade too, with arranger‑conductor Gordon Jenkins handling the chart and "guest vocalist" Bob Carroll doing the honors:

Bob Carroll was another fine singer who isn’t well‑known today, but he always delivered the goods.

Let’s jump ahead to 1947 for a nice instrumental detour. Here’s pianist Roberto Inglez on the British Parlophone label:

Roberto was born Robert Inglis in Scotland, but Latinized his name to match the Latin music he specialized in.

So, day has just broken five times now. No wonder this week is going by fast!