Ella Fitzgerald sings Sweet Georgia Brown in Stockholm

Take a look at this great video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing Sweet Georgia Brown in Stockholm 1966. A fantastic up tempo delivery of Sweet Georgia Brown, this is Ella Fitzgerald at her best. This is why she has been called "The first lady of jazz". Enjoy!


Oow! It's hot. So much energy. If that didn't make you move your feet, I don't know what will.

Take a look at other versions of Sweet Georgia Brown that I've blogged about.

What do you think of this video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing Sweet Georgia Brown? Tell me.

Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer

Right now the Tribeca Film Festival is going on and one of the movies that has it's premiere there is a documentary about jazz singer Anita Oday called: "Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer".

Take a look at the trailer for the documentary at Anita O'day's official website. If you're at the Tribeca Film Festival you can see the film on Friday and Sunday.

Anita O'day passed away in the end of last year. She will be remembered as a great jazz singer. What I admire about Anita O'day is her marvelous phrasing, one outstanding example of her phrasing can be heard on the following video clip from the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958 where Anita O'day sings Sweet Georgia Brown in three different styles .



I especially like the way she presents the line in the lyrics that goes: "I don't lie... much".

The video clip is from the documentary "Jazz on a Summer's Day" from 1960 by Bert Stern.

You can compare her version with the other versions of Sweet Georgia Brown that I've posted.

What do you think of Anita O'day? Tell me.

Sweet Georgia Brown with Ben Bernie (1925)

Sweet Georgia Brown is a great song and one of the most played jazz standards. The following video clip shows Bernie Ben performing Sweet Georgia Brown in 1925. Ben Bernie was one of the composers of the song (along with Ken Casey and Maceo Pinkard), so this is as close to the original you can get.



It's said that this video clip shows the first recorded saxophone solo. I think it's one of the best hot jazz versions I've heard.

What do you think of Ben Bernies version of Sweet Georgia Brown? Tell me.

Sidney Bechet: Sweet Georgia Brown

Here is a smokin' hot version of Sweet Georgia Brown by Sidney Bechet from Cannes Jazz Festival 1958. The unusual thing about this video clip is that trumpet player Roy Eldridge plays the drums. Enjoy eight minutes of hot jazz!



This video clip introduced me to new (to me) musicians: Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Vic Dickenson (trombone), Sammy Price (piano) and Arvell Shaw (bass). I have to find out more about them.

What do you think of the video clip? Tell me.

Sweet (?) Georgia Brown - Cabin In The Sky

Yesterday I saw the film Cabin in the sky where Lena Horne plays the character Georgia Brown. Usually you hear about the Sweet Georgia Brown but here she was trying to steal away Joe from his wife. Lena Horne certainly was an 'it' girl.



One really great version of Sweet Georgia Brown is done by Ella Fitzgerald on the album A Perfect Match together with Count Basie and his band.



Ethel Waters who plays the wife in the movie also has recorded some versions of Sweet Georgia Brown.

Duke Ellington and his band is featured in this film in a scene where you also can see several types of dance: (original) jazz dance, some lindy hop and even some shag.

Louis Armstrong also has a very small role in the film.