“Chattanooga Choo Choo” February 10, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Dance, Jazz, Movies, Music, Nicholas Brothers, Swing.add a comment
From Sun Valley Serenade (1941), an intro by the Glenn Miller Orchestra segues into …
“I Got A Gal In Kalamazoo” February 9, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Dance, Jazz, Movies, Music, Nicholas Brothers, Swing.add a comment
A year after Sun Valley Serenade, Glenn Miller, the Nicholas Brothers and Harry Warren and Max Gordon continue their survey of songs about American cities with funny names …
“Lucky Numbers” February 8, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Dance, Jazz, Movies, Music, Nicholas Brothers, Swing.1 comment so far
From The Black Network, a 1936 short, fifteen-year-old Harold and twenty-two-year-old Fayard Nicholas perform “Lucky Numbers” by Cliff Hess.
Adelaide Hall and the Nicholas Brothers February 7, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Dance, Movies, Music, Nicholas Brothers, Swing, Theater, Vaudeville.2 comments
From 1935, the VitaPhone short “An All-Colored Vaudeville Show” …
“Jumpin’ Jive” February 5, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Cab Calloway, Dance, Jazz, Movies, Music, Nicholas Brothers, Swing.add a comment
This clip from Stormy Weather (1943) features Calloway and his orchestra, and the amazing Nicholas Brothers (Harold and Fayard).
Bon anniversaire, Stéphane January 26, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Cool, Jazz, Music, Swing.1 comment so far
Today would have been the one hundredth birthday of the greatest jazz violinist of all time.
Above, from 1991, the eighty-three-year-old Stéphane Grappelli performs “How High The Moon” by Nancy Hamilton and Morgan Lewis, accompanied by McCoy Tyner on piano, Marc Fosset on guitar and Jean-Philip Viret on bass.
“Did you ever meet that funny reefer man …” January 24, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Cab Calloway, Jazz, Movies, Music, Swing.1 comment so far
In this clip from International House (1933), the strangest film W. C. Fields ever made (and that’s saying a lot), Cab Calloway And His Orchestra, featuring the legendary Al Morgan on bass, perform “Reefer Man” on television.
No, I’m not making that up.
And shut up with the reefer jokes.
Technorati tags: Cab Calloway And His Orchestra, Al Morgan, Reefer Man, International House
“Jasper In A Jam” January 15, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1946 through 1960, Cartoons, Jazz, Movies, Music, Peggy Lee, Puppetoons, Swing, Zook.5 comments
From 1946, a George Pal Puppetoon featuring Charlie Barnet and Peggy Lee, and designed by Reg Massie.
Ella sings “Them There Eyes” December 19, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Ella Fitzgerald, Jazz, Music, Swing.add a comment
From 1965, featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano, Tommy Potter on bass and Roy Haynes on drums.
Anita O’Day December 11, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Cool, Jazz, Music, Swing.1 comment so far
Tastes change. I remember my Dad playing Anita O’Day for me when I was in my ‘twenties and on a Billie Holiday kick, and I just didn’t get it. Now I do.
These clips are from documentaries on O’Day’s life, and although there’s relatively little music it tells more of her astounding life than paragraphs of purple prose could accomplish.
Okay, that’s a beguine! August 31, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Jazz, Music, Musicals, Swing, Theater.add a comment
Answering yesterday’s question, it’s a dance from the island of Martinique (you know, where the heat wave blew into town from last week …)
Der Bingle and the Rhythm Boys August 17, 2007
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Jazz, Movies, Music, Swing.add a comment
The Rhythm Boys — Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby (1903-1977), Harry Barris (1905-1962) and Al Rinker (1907-1982) — perform “So the Bluebirds and the Blackbirds got together” from King Of Jazz (1930), an early Technicolor revue feature from Universal.
Would you have guessed that Crosby would become the star from these three performers — or that it would be Crosby’s drinking that broke up the group?
“J’attendrai” August 13, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Jazz, Music, Swing.1 comment so far
It was no secret that the crude gypsy guitarist and the suave, conservatory-trained violinist were less than the best of friends away from the recording studio. I’ve always had it in mind to research their story for a script.
Ain’t nobody here but us chickens August 9, 2007
Posted by Jeff in A cappella, Jazz, Music, Swing.1 comment so far
Encore! The Bobs cover Louis Jordan:
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