Wingy Manone - Ochi Chornya

Here is Wingy Manone and his Orchestra performing "Ochi Chornya" in a recording from 1938.

The YouTube poster, edmundusrex has uploaded a lot of songs with artists from the 1920s and the 1930s. A goldmine to dig into and discover more about early jazz and blues artists.

I don't have time to browse through them all, why don't you take a look at his videos and recommend your favorite clips in the comments below?

You also might want to check out 100 Great Records Of The 1920s.


What do you think of Wingy Manone performing Ochi Chornya? What is your favorite clip?Please comment.

Charleston dancing in Europe in the 1920's

Charleston became a dance craze in the 1920's and traveled over to Europe as well. Above is a video clip from 1929 with a British band and some dancers dancing Charleston.

If you are interested in old footage from the 1920's and 1930's, you should check out the YouTube profile for jozefsterkens, who posted the clip above. He has posted over 700 other video clips.

You can find out more about dance history at http://dancehistory.org/

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

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.

Sarah Vaughan - Perdido

Sarah Vaughan is one jazz singer I haven't featured yet on the blog, but now is the time. Here is Sarah Vaughan singing the song Perdido.

I once danced with a girl that said she liked the song but she never could quite remember its name so she called it "that Mexican food song: Burrito".

I don't have that many Sarah Vaughan songs, what swinging tunes with her should I have?

What do you think about Sarah Vaughan singing Perdido? Tell me.

Dancing to save your sole: Al Norman

If you have been a long time reader of this blog you might remember the dancer Al Norman and his rubber legs. In the video clip above Al Norman dances in the number "Dancing To Save Your Sole" together with Nancy Carroll. The band is Abe Lyman and his Orchestra.

I think the clip is from Paramount on Parade from 1930 and that the presenter is Skeets Gallagher.

What do think of the video clip with Al Norman? Tell me.

Louis Prima - The Jungle Book

Did you know that it's Louis Prima who is the voice behind King Louie in the Disney movie The Jungle Book.

Enjoy this video clip from the film where Mowgli and King Louie dances to the song "I Wanna Be Like You". I really like the fact that the bear Baloo can't resist the swinging music and starts to bounce to the rhythm.

I would also like to show you this behind-the-scenes video clip from the recording of I Wanna Be Like You.

I think these video clips is a perfect example of the power of swingin' music, you can't resist it but are compelled to move to the music. "The music made me do it".

What do you think of the videos from the Jungle Book with Louis Prima? Tell me.

Ella Fitzgerald - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

Outside it's unusually warm for being February, could it be an effect of global warming or is it love in the air for the upcoming Valentines day, I don't know.

However, here is a video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" together with the Count Basie band and Roy Eldridge with a trumpet solo.



What do you think about the video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm? 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.

Duke Ellington: It Don't Mean A Thing

A classic swing tune: It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) performed by Duke Ellington.



Do you have more information about this video clip, like where it's from and who the the soloists are? Let me know.

What do you think of the video clip with Duke Ellington playing It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)? Tell me.

Nagasaki - Jeeves & Wooster

Here's a scene from the British tv comedy series "Jeeves & Wooster" where Bertie sings the jazz song Nagasaki written in 1928 by Harry Warren and Mort Dixon.


The clip is from episode 5 called "Hot Off the Press" from season 3.

What do you think about Hugh Laurie singing Nagasaki from Jeeves & Wooster? Is it extremely invigorating as Jeeves puts it? Tell me.

Ginger Rogers dances Charleston in Roxie Hart

Ginger Rogers was quite a Charleston dancer, in fact that was how she started her career as a dancer and actress. Here is a scene from the film Roxie Hart (1942) where Ginger Rogers dances Charleston. The scene did however not make into Roxie Hart, maybe it was the production code for the movie industry that put a stop to that, I don't know.

The story is based on a true crime and has been made first into a silent movie: Chicago (1927) and of course the modern day remake: Chicago (2002) featuring Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart.

What do you think of Ginger Rogers dancing Charleston in Roxie Hart? Tell me.

Bing Crosby: "Swinging on a Star" from Going My Way

Swinging on a star is a nice lightharted song that first appeared in the movie "Going my way" (1944) starring Bing Crosby. Here is a video clip from "Going my way" where Bing Crosby sings Swinging on a star.

The song is written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke and won an Oscar for "Best song" in the 1944 Academy awards, where the film also was voted the "Best motion picture" and Bing Crosby was voted "Best actor".

Another great film nominated this year was the short film "Jammin the blues" by Gjon Mili.

What do you think of Bing Crosby singing Swinging on a star? Tell me.

"Crazy Riffin" - Betti Mays, Big Sid Catlett

Here is a video clip from the movie Boy! What a Girl! where Betti Mays sings the song "Crazy Riffin" which is played by Big Sid Catlett's band.



The film "Boy! What a Girl!" is from 1947 and you can hear that the band has bop influences as well as Betti Mays has when she scats. That's bop phrases alright, but the tune still swings. Other jazz musicians as bass player Slam Stewart and drummer Gene Krupa also appears in the movie.

There is a group of dancers called The International Jitterbugs that I've heard is in the film, I haven't seen any clip of them, do you know anything about those dancers? Tell me.

What do you think of this video clip with Betti Mays and Big Sid Catlett's band performing the song "Crazy Riffin"? Tell me.

Katie Webster & Gatemouth Brown - Everyday I have the blues

Here's a great version of "Everyday I have the blues" performed by Katie Webster & Gatemouth Brown.



I've heard about Gatemouth Brown before but Katie Webster was a really nice new acquaintance, I have to find more music by her.

What do you think about Katie Webster & Gatemouth Brown performing "Everyday I have the blues"? Tell me.

Bert Kaempfert - Tuxedo Junction

Take a look at this video clip with Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra playing Tuxedo Junction. I really like the soft arrangement.



Wow, that what a call a BIG band. How many people are on the band stand? At least twenty.

Bert Kaempfert isn't very known by the general jazz public but some of his songs are: "L-O-V-E" which was made famous by Nat King Cole and "Strangers in the Night", a hit for Frank Sinatra. In Sweden almost everybody know Bert Kaempfert's song "Swingin' Safari" since it was (and maybe still is) the theme song for the tv quiz show for fifth-graders called "Vi i femman".

Tuxedo junction was written by Erskine Hawkins in 1940.

What do you think of Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra playing Tuxedo Junction? Tell me.

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers - I Won't Dance

Enjoy this video clip with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to the song "I Won't Dance".



The video clip is from the movie Roberta (1935). The music of "I Won't Dance" is written by Jerome Kern and the lyrics that appear in the film are written by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh (original lyrics was written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach [Wikipedia])

What do you think of the video clip with Fred Astaire tap dancing to "I Won't Dance"? Tell me.

Harry James - Don't Be That Way

Here's a video clip with Harry James and his orchestra playing Don't Be That Way. An uptempo song with great energy. The video clip was recorded in 1965.



What do you think of Harry James and his orchestra playing Don't Be That Way? Tell me.

Dinah Washington - All Of Me

Enjoy this video clip from Newport Jazz Festival 1958 with Dinah Washington singing All Of Me.

Cleveland Eaton + Count Basie + Kansas City 5

I'll continue the theme with superb jazz double bass playing: Today it's Cleveland Eaton on the double bass when he played with Count Basie & Kansas City 5. What a line up in that band: Roy Eldrige, Zoot Sims and Duffy Jackson.



Cleveland Eaton has a bass sound that I haven't heard anyone else have, it's a kind of thick and full sound, very groovy. Man, I love it!

I like this clip because it first displays the quality of each player and the bonus comes in the last minute of the clip when the musicians play at the same time, the amount of energy they pump into the song is unbelivable. You just got to dig it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: If you can sit still to this music you better see a doctor.

If you like this video clip (I can't image that you don't) you'll also like Cleveland Eaton playing along with Count Basie and Ella Fizgerald in One O'clock Jump.

What do you think of the video clip with Count Basie and the Kansas City Five? Tell me.

Ray Brown Trio feat. Regina Carter - Lady Be Good

It's time again for the Ray Brown Trio to entertain you, this time Ray Brown is joined by Larry Fuller on piano and George Fludas on drums. Together with them they feature Regina Carter on violin. Regina Carter is swinging hard while the trio backs her up with a nice steady groove.

Enjoy this video clip with the Ray Brown Trio feat. Regina Carter playing Lady Be Good.



The jazz standard Oh, Lady Be Good is written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin in 1924.

What do you think of the Ray Brown Trio & Regina Carter playing Oh, Lady Be Good. Tell me.