The story behind puzzle No. 63
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra · Single · Brunswick · 1932
Years before anyone talked about a swing era, Duke Ellington put the word in a song title.
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra recorded It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) on February 2, 1932, for Brunswick. Ivie Anderson sang, and trombonist Joe Nanton and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges took the solos.
The recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
The song contains one of the earliest uses of the word swing in popular music. It summed up how many jazz musicians felt at the time.
Historian Gunther Schuller called it a prophetic piece and a prophetic title. Ellington wrote the music, and his manager Irving Mills published it and contributed to the lyrics.
Listen to Nanton's growling, talking trombone, made with a plunger mute.
Anderson's vocal is relaxed and confident, and Hodges's alto glides in with the smoothest tone in the band.
Who's on it
Keep listening
Jump ahead 30 years to In a Sentimental Mood (puzzle No. 58), Ellington with John Coltrane.
As an Amazon Associate, Liner Note earns from qualifying purchases.