It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
"It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"is a 1931 composition byDuke Ellingtonwith lyrics byIrving Mills.It is now accepted as ajazz standard,and jazz historianGunther Schullercharacterized it as "now legendary" and "a prophetic piece and a prophetic title".[1]In 2008, Ellington's 1932 recording of the song was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[2]
| "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" | |
|---|---|
| SongbyDuke Ellington | |
| Released | 1932 |
| Recorded | February 2, 1932 |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Composer(s) | Duke Ellington |
| Lyricist(s) | Irving Mills |
Background
editThe music was composed and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at the Lincoln Tavern inChicago;[citation needed]the lyrics were contributed byIrving Mills.According to Ellington, the song's title was the credo of trumpeterBubber Miley,[3]who was dying oftuberculosisat the time;[4]Miley died the year the song was released.[5]
The song was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra forBrunswick Recordson February 2, 1932.[6]Ivie Andersonsang the vocal and trombonistJoe Nantonand alto saxophonistJohnny Hodgesplayed the solos. In later performances, trumpeterRay Nanceoften sang the vocal.
The song became famous, Ellington wrote, "as the expression of a sentiment which prevailed among jazz musicians at the time".[3]It contains one of the earliest uses in popular music of the term "swing".[7]
Other versions
edit
- The Mills Brothers(1932)[7]
- The Boswell Sisters(1932)[8]
- Roger Wolfe Kahn(1932)[9]
- Stephane GrappelliwithDjango Reinhardt(1935)[6]
- Thelonious Monk–Thelonious Monk Plays the Music of Duke Ellington(Riverside,1955),[6]familiar to listeners ofAmerican Public Media'sMarketplaceradio program, which plays Monk's version as background accompaniment whenever theDow Jones Industrial Averageresults are mixed[10]
- Sidney BechetandMartial Solal–Sidney Bechet-Martial Solal Quartet Featuring Kenny Clarke(1957)[6]
- Louis Armstrongand Duke Ellington –The Great Reunion(1961)[11]
- Ella Fitzgeraldand Duke Ellington –Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur[6](Verve,1967)
- Teresa Brewerand Duke Ellington (1974)[12]
- Chuck Brown–Go Go Swing Live(1987)[13]
- Diane SchuurwithStan Getz–Schuur Thing(1985)[6]
- Dr. John-Duke Elegant(2000)[6]
- Tony BennetandLady Gaga-Cheek To Cheek(2014)
References
edit- ^Schuller, Gunther(1991).The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945.Oxford University Press. pp. 50–51.ISBN978-0195071405.
- ^"Grammy Hall Of Fame".Recording Academy.Archivedfrom the original on 2011-01-22.
- ^abEllington, Duke (1976).Music Is My Mistress.Da Capo Press. pp. 419, 106.ISBN978-0306800337.
- ^Jazz Journal,Dec. 1965
- ^Corliss, Richard (21 October 2011)."It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)".Time.
- ^abcdefgGioia, Ted (2012).The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire.New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 206.ISBN978-0-19-993739-4.
- ^abEwen, David (1987).American Songwriters.The H.W. Wilson Company. p. 149.ISBN0-8242-0744-0.
- ^Friedwald, Will (1990).Jazz Singing.Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 169.ISBN0-684-18522-9.
- ^Yanow, Scott (2003).Jazz on Record: The First Sixty Years.Backbeat Books. p. 97.ISBN978-0879307554.
- ^"Frequently Asked Questions".Marketplace.org.Retrieved2023-04-22.
- ^Nollen, Scott Allen (2004).Louis Armstrong: The Life, Music, and Screen Career.McFarland and Company. p. 162.ISBN0-7864-1857-5.
- ^"Top Album Picks".Billboard.February 9, 1974. p. 61.
- ^Gantt, Diedre R. (2013)."Talking Drums: Soca and Go-Go Music as Grassroots Identity Movements".In Diouf, M.; Nwankwo, I. K. (eds.).Rhythms of the Afro-Atlantic World.University of Michigan Press. p. 207.ISBN978-0-472-02747-7.