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.

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.

Silver Sextett at Uppsala Konsert & Kongress Opening

The Silver Sextett is a group of young jazz musicans that I first wrote about in connection with Youth Jazz Contest. Yesterday they performed at the opening of Uppsalas new concert hall: Uppsala Konsert & Kongress.

It's estimated that more than 10000 people in Uppsala took the chance to see what the new building was like.


The Silver Sextett played, among other songs, Night in Tunisia and It Don't Mean A Thing. It sounded very good.

The photos are taken by me and may not be published elsewhere without my permission. Contact me if you want to license them.

Did you hear the Silver Sextett yesterday at Uppsala Konsert & Kongress? What do you think of them? Tell me.

Rosenberg Trio - It Don't Mean a Thing

Let's jump start this week with lightning fast gypsy jazz version of "It Don't Mean a Thing (If You Ain't Got That Swing)" performed by the Rosenberg Trio at Jazz Festival of Django Reinhardt.



The Rosenberg trio consists of Stochelo Rosenberg, Nous'che Rosenberg and Nonnie Rosenberg.

What do you think of this version of "It Don't Mean a Thing (If You Ain't Got That Swing)" played by the Rosenberg Trio? Tell me.

Nikki Yanofsky sings It Don't Mean a Thing

Here is Nikki Yanofsky singing It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) together with Canadian pianist Oliver Jones.



I featured Nikki Yanofsky some weeks ago where she sung Airmail Special, scatting just like Ella Fitzgerald. There seems to be a lot of interest in Nikki so I thought that I would present another video clip with her.

What I like about Nikki Yanofsky in this video clip is her phrasing, just listen to how she deliver the words, how she bends and stretches them or chops them up in perfect pieces. Excellent.

If you're interested in how Ella did it, take a look at Ella Fitzgerald singing "It Don't Mean a Thing".

What do you think of Nikki Yanofsky singing "It Don't Mean a Thing"? Tell me.

Ella Fitzgerald sings Hard Hearted Hannah

Here is a video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing Hard Hearted Hannah from 1955.




Another great version of this song can be found on a cd called "The Great Swing Party", a concert recording made by Ulf Johansson Werre where Hard Hearted Hanna is sung by Hanna Hedlund.

Every fall Ulf Johansson Werre put together a large concert with big band which has a certain theme based on different jazz composers each time: Count Basie, Benny Goodman, George Gershwin and Duke Ellington.

On this particular occasion the theme was just "swing". The cd has a great version of It Don't Mean A Thing. At the concert there were also a lindy hop and tap performance by The Harlem Hot Shots.

What do you think of this video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing Hard Hearted Hannah? Tell me.

Ella Fitzgerald - It Don't Mean A Thing

I like many styles of music but nothing really compares to swing. Swing to me means infectious joy, music that makes you want to dance.

In this video clip from German television from 1974 with Ella Fitzgerald, she also lists a number of music styles and comes to the conclusion that It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).



The jazz orchestra has full big band sound that I love. In the middle of "It Don't Mean A Thing" they also play a few bars of "Four brothers" as well as "Moten Swing".

The orchestra has a number of great jazz musicians such as Joe Pass (guitar), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Bobby Durham (drums), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Eddie Lockjaw Davis (tenor saxophone).

What do you think of this video clip with Ella Fitzgerald performing "It Don't Mean A Thing"? Tell me.