The Real Group - It Don't Mean A Thing

It Don't Mean A Thing is almost the definition of a classic swing song. Here is a acapella version by the Swedish vocal group The Real Group from a concert at Stockholm Concert Hall in 2005.

I really like how the bass lines are sung and I'm also very fond of the way they layer their voices (starts at ~ 2:00 into the video clip).

What do you think of The Real Group singing It Don't Mean A Thing? Please comment.

Jumpin' at the Woodside: Antti Sarpila

Jumpin' at the Woodside is a classic swing song by Count Basie. It has a fast tempo and has often been used as music for lindy hop jam circles.

Above is a version from Bern Jazz Festival 1988 where Antti Sarpila and Christian Plattners duels with their saxophones. I've had the pleasure of listening to Antti Sarpila a couple of times. If he is in your town, go and hear him play.

What do you think of Jumpin' at the Woodside with Antti Sarpila? Please comment.

Diga Diga Doo - Paolo Conti & Sebastien Ménière

Diga diga doo is one of my favorite songs. Usually you hear versions by Artie Shaw or Benny Goodman, but you have never heard it like this when it's played by Paolo Conti (on slide steel guitar) & Sebastien Ménière (rhythm guitar) in a gypsy jazz style.

I would say that Diga diga doo is a classic swing song.

What do you think of this version of Diga diga doo? Please comment.

Let me off uptown - Gene Krupa, Anita O'day, Roy Eldridge

Let me off uptown is one of those classic swing songs, maybe it's not considered a jazz standard, but when it comes to swing dancing, you're bound to hear it every now and then.

The most known version of Let me off uptown is the one above with Gene Krupa, Anita O'day, Roy Eldridge. This was also the very first swing music tip I gave on this blog.

In the middle of the video clip there is a dance sequence, does anyone know who the dancers are?

Maybe you are as silly as Miss D and I: whenever we hear the song on the dance floor, we act out the banter between Anita and Roy.

What do you think of the video clip? Please comment.

Opus One: Tommy Dorsey

I will continue to list the classic swing songs. Here is one undisputed classic: Opus One with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. This particular version is from the short film "Universal Name Band Musical 7301: Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra" from 1951.

Opus #1 was written by Sy Oliver and became a hit with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra in 1944.

I love the trading of phrases that goes on between trumpeter Charlie Shavers and the pianist (who is he, can anyone help me?)

What do you think of Opus No. 1? Got any suggestions of other classic swing songs? Please comment.

Hit That Jive Jack with Joe Carroll

Hit that jive, Jack is one of the classic swing songs. The song is written by Johnny Alston and Skeets Tolbert. Just like Route 66, it was a big hit by the Nat King Cole Trio but here is another version by jive talking Joe Caroll on vocals from a soundie.

According to the post on Youtube the band is called "The Tramp Band". The post continues:

This is from 1943; personnel should be identical or similar to their scene in Stormy Weather: Carroll and Pinky Johnson up front, Nick Aldrich piano, Johnny Cousin guitar, Ebenezer Paul bass, Willie Jones drums, Alvis Cowans washboard. Female dancer Nicky O'Daniel played Caldonia in Louis Jordan's film Caldonia a couple years later.

Anyone who can confirm this?

Also, it seems to be hard to find information about the composers Johnny Alston and Skeets Tolbert. Do you know where to find more info about them?

What do you think of the video clip with Joe Carroll singing Hit That Jive Jack? Please comment.

Route 66: Bobby Troup + Nat King Cole

Route 66 is one of the classic swing songs. I bet you have sung this one time or another:

"Get your kicks on Route 66"

Many people don't know that the song was written by a man called Bobby Troup. Most people associate Route 66 with Nat King Cole because he was the first artist to record the song in 1946.

I thought it would be interesting to hear how the composer would perform the song, so here is Bobby Troup performing Route 66.

You can then compare it with how Nat King Cole and his trio played Route 66 below.



As I'm often is involved with rigging bands on Swingkatten's dance nights I could help noticing the look of the microphones: so small.

I wonder why they made microphones like that then and also why we don't see such microphones nowadays. It must be techical reasons why they changed the look or could it be astaetics as well?

Nowadays you mostly see Shure SM58s (ok, you non technical types can roll your eyes now... ;-) ). Is there anyone who know the history of microphones?

What do you think of the different versions of Route 66? Please comment.

Peggy Lee - Why Don't You Do Right?

"Why Don't You Do Right?" is a classic swing song that is a favorite of mine. The most classic recording of that song was done by Benny Goodman's orchestra featuring singer Peggy Lee. Enjoy Peggy Lee's version of "Why Don't You Do Right?".

According to the YouTube poster, this scene comes from a film called Stage Door Canteen from 1943.

What do you think of the video clip with Peggy Lee singing Why Don't You Do Right? Tell me.

Hot Jazz Band: Christopher Columbus

One of my favorite swing tunes is the classic swing song "Christopher Columbus". Here is a great version of "Christopher Columbus" played by the Hot Jazz Band from Hungary.

I really like the lyrics by Andy Razaf. He wrote so many lyrics to jazz standards, some examples are: Ain't Misbehavin', Honeysuckle Rose, The Joint Is Jumpin' and Stompin' at the Savoy.

Hot Jazz Band is a great band, but how I wish that the audience could have clapped their hands in a more swinging way. If you go to a jazz concert please clap your hands on the beats 2 and 4 instead of 1 and 3.

What do you think of the video clip with Hot Jazz Band from Hungary playing Christopher Columbus? Tell me.

Count Basie and Joe Williams - Alright, OK, You Win

Here is another classic swing song you should know: "Alright, OK, You Win" performed by Count Basie and Joe Williams.



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

Splanky - Count Basie - Montreux Jazz Festival

Splanky played by Count Basie is one of the classic swing songs you should know of. Here is a excellent up-tempo version of Splanky by Count Basie at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1977.



Splanky is written by composer and arranger Neal Hefti.

Watch other classic swing songs like Corner Pocket with Count Basie and In the Mood with Glenn Miller.

What do yoy think of the video clip with Count Basie playing Splanky? Tell me.

Glenn Miller - In The Mood

If you ask a person on the street to name a swing song, many would probably say "In the Mood" performed by Glenn Miller. In the Mood is a one of the classic swing songs that everybody should know of. What many people don't know is that the main theme in the song comes from Tar Paper Stomp by Wingy Manone. The Glenn Miller version is credited to Joseph C Garland.

Here is a video clip with Glenn Miller and his orchestra performing "In the Mood" from the film Sun Valley Serenade (1941).

I always thought of Glenn Miller and his band as a quite polished band and I didn't know that they could be so showy, maybe it's because it is a film, I don't know if they did the same thing when they played for dancers in the real world (do you know?).

However, it's great to hear the energy and see the female character played by Sonja Henie get swept into digging the band. As I like to say: "The music made me do it". Resistance is futile.

I can't really tell but about 3:00 in the clip it looks like there is couple dancing balboa, but I'm not sure. What do you think?

You can read more about what other people think about Sun Valley Serenade over at Amazon.com.

What do you think about the video clip with Glenn Miller and his orchestra playing "In the Mood? Tell me.

Count Basie Orchestra - Corner Pocket

Every now and then people come up to me and ask:

"Hey, what's the name of this song, I've heard it a million times, but I can't remember the name."

I think there are some songs that you should make an effort to learn their names just because they are classic swing songs.

One of those classic swing songs is Corner Pocket. Here is a video clip with the Count Basie Orchestra performing Corner Pocket.

They have a great full big band sound. Great solos! I really like Sonny Payne on drums.

If you want a Count Basie cd that has Corner Pocket I recommend "April in Paris", a reissue that actually has two versions of the song.

A classic album that also have great versions of "Magic". Good stuff! If you are collecting Count Basie you should get this cd.

What do you think of Corner Pocket by Count Basie? Tell me.