Cab Calloway - St. James Infirmary

[FoxPlant2006]

Best performer of this song.

[faissa2]

Ahaha, very amusing. Love it :)

[kstoughton]

How do you spell slick mother fucker???

Cab"The King Of Hi-De-Ho"Calloway!!!

R.I.P

[TheLordOfEltingville]

If you look up "style" in a dictionary, you'll find a picture of Cab.

[devaom420]

Cab Cal is definitely one of the greatest performers of all time.

I'd kill to see him live... or even just living for that matter...

Cab Calloway, forever!

[Eregwen]

This guy is an incredibly entertaining performer.

[amiwami]

I think it is awesome that you are 14 and enjoying these old time blues. It was great music and a great generation to grow up in.

You have good taste and class.

[VercingetorixXIII]

too bad you finally became commercialized, loved you before but I understand... let it go, god bless you, wherever man, you will never find another sweet woman like me...

[VercingetorixXIII]

Cab colloway, you are a sexy motherfucker,,,

[mcd1369]

the king of cool yes he was

[kassemir]

Thank you "Blues Brothers" if it weren't for that film I wouldn't have known who Cab Calloway was and wouldn't have checked out more of his stuff.

This is just great, absolutely love it!!!

[VercingetorixXIII]

He looks like the Cheshire Cat... too happy...

[MoteyJoe]

Cab is so damn cool.

[dhdw6]

He is missing the macabre sound in this performance; but not in the original non-live recording. His voice is truly haunting in that one - you can find it on iTunes.

[mattmurrey]

WOW! that is the only word I can think of! haha

[ArtyoneT]

wow he has the best voice i have ever heard

[alvarot3103]

fiddlercrab3 you nail it boy! 100% suport for u

[ahouian]

Qui connait la version de Earl Fata Hines

[skakaravskrack]

sooo good

[rain360]

I NEED a Cab Calloway album.

[hobbes45ifty]

Very stylish performance, but I gotta say that Louis Armstrongs has that real sense of dread leaking through it that I kinda feel a song like this needs

[mamabunny10]

cab was such a smooth cat.

[dwh0689]

@mamabunny10

you mean, a huge flamer??!?

[Xzaln]

fuck all the people arguing in these comments. i've got the saint james infirmary blues

[Pomegranatem]

cheb khaled

[blackmoonchristi]

@TimBobbro it may not be the best but it aint the worst and there is NOTHING faggoty about the way he sings it and besides cab calloway is awesome dont listen 2 the song if u dont like the way he sings it

[stalzz]

Could be The Ed Sullivan Show? 

[xCHANTELLExLOVEx]

Cab Calloway is superior.

[hamilton241]

classic i like this guy and im only 14

[hobbes45ifty]

@hamilton241 other 14 year olds dont like it when similarly aged precocious 14 year olds boast about that stuff

[abstractintelligence]

@hamilton241

Who cares how old you are? Need some gold stars?

[DemeterLovesPumpkins]

@hamilton241 okay ur only 124 u like real music, wanna medal? lol j/k

[cosmosmariner8]

@texasboy000 Doug Duffey...how right you are. An old friend, and a brilliant musician.

[texasboy000]

didnt really like this version of it,, still very good,, just prefer the one by doug duffey or L armstrong

[twolegsnotail]

WAKE UP AND WELCOME TO SOME ORIGINAL 20TH CENTURY OPERA.

[giodued]

Now this is what i call MUSIC not the BS they put on he radio now adays and this is coming from the mind of a teenager

[disgustipated07]

Although this isn't my favorite version, I absolutely love watching Cab Calloway perform this song. He really changed it up to suit his singing style and he NAILS it. He has this swag to him that makes you want to watch the whole way through. He represents everything an entertainer should be - talented and unique.

[smrfox99]

Snakes eyes!

[damiongringe]

Ha! Respectability on the internet? You ask too much. Especially in YouTubecomments.

[IronicallyVague]

Speechless

[fazzip123]

cab calloway is one of the best artists ever! along with nat king cole billie holiday etc. real singers! no fakes awesome =]

[mambo9jambo]

But unfortunatly when considering rap as a musical genre the melody is a very important consideration... and it's not present.

[stridegum1213]

@mambo9jambo that is true but lets look at a drumline, you technically don't have a melody per se, but you have rhythm the way you play the notes makes up the melody same for rap. How they annunciate words and articulate and dynamics it all makes up a melody. Just my opinion though

[lsdvine]

@stridegum1213 good point mate... but where is the trippy loose your senses strum your banjos, blow ya horns and sing like a whale with extreme passion. rap is old, dubstep is old, techno is old, d&b is old, china is old...... its all the same thing the didgeridoo conquers alllll

[wopzillia]

that guy looks like satin

[horismoku]

@wopzillia i think you mean SATAN satin is a fabric or a paint finish

[42paparia42]

Cab's the man!

[burton9873]

I prefer the Louis Armstrong version

[yaya4now2]

They don't make classy entertainers like this anymore. May you be resting in peace Mr. Calloway.

[BacksidePL]

Omg - now I know what Miles Davis wrote about in his autobiography. The "white TV" presented black musicians like monkeys in the zoo - this insincere grin and funny motion...

This, true root blues sounds absolutely inauthentic in this version

[troutvt]

oh yeah cab.

[t0ej0b]

The smile during a "serious" song is the showman in him. He was born to perform and it shows through in every recording he's done.

[YurasuEbi]

I hate how people argue about rap on jazz videos. BUT, here's my two cents.

This music is probably the best that will ever be recorded, hands down. But rap/electronic music isn't just "the push of a button on a computer".. As a computer based musician who also plays real instruments, I can guarantee you that making music on the computer isn't as easy as you make it seem.

Don't discredit people for doing something you're not used to. We wouldn't have jazz if everyone did that.

[Daedalus5150]

The way this song should be. Stop ruining classics Clapton!

[Bandit4Pabst]

Cab Calloway.... Great Blues Lounge singer with an extremely inpressive vocal range... that being said Louis Armstrong does a great version too.

[dwarfedhamburger]

wow, I just came across this after searching for The White Stripes, this is a really powerful song, really cool.

[Cadam92]

only thing that puts me off is he is smiling in a tradegic song! but god he has such a great voice!

[Ysaedda]

@Cadam92 I think it's more of a grimace, but I can see what you mean. I also thought he was smiling at first and thought it was kinda twisted.

[spleenblender]

@Cadam92 Its not a tragic song. The character in the song is lamenting she left him. Her "death" is a metaphor. Its not happy but it isn't tragic. Just a drunk singing in a bar about how a girl left him.

[youngrelleus19]

@spleenblender what? you are making something out of nothing

[spleenblender]

@youngrelleus19 lol yeah, I know. I wanted to see how long it'd take before someone called me out on just making shit up :P

[TheFlipanator]

So much goddamn swagger. Cab Calloway's such a g.

[ArtyWildmaker]

CAB...tell it!

[jaw1024]

what a voice :D

[pepsibookcat]

Wow. Thank you for posting this!  <3 Cab Calloway

[Jazsngr]

For those of you who aren't aware of Mr. Calloway...check out "Minnie the Moocher." That's his most famous song.

[nagpeack]

'This guy' is the immortal Cab Calloway, whom you obviously know nothing about. I pity you; yet I envy you, 'cause you have the chance to discover him.

[SkormFlinxingGlock]

This guy seems a bit too happy for the sombre mood of the song.  Almost like he can't wait to get down to the infirmary...

[movingtarget1978]

@SkormFlinxingGlock. Agreed. I don't understand why people rate this version so highly. Not in the same league as Satchmo or Van Ronk's versions.

[akimmer]

@movingtarget1978 Your comment upset me.. until I actually listened to Armstrong's version, amazing!

[machetemas]

oooh fuck yeah this man knows about swagger, best version of this song there is

[Christianchic907]

Cab Calloway=The Best That Ever did it!

[herrMaria]

i totally fell in love with this song when i watched betty boop. :d

[wxm19]

Me too.

[JamesDOShea]

Haha take a look at Nomad's youtube page - what a twat - like Bill & Ted but without their musical ability or sense of humour

[furrowin]

pearls before swine here somebody posted this masterpiece and a profane philistine like nomad up there types profanity can we all please spam nomads comment ty

[DjFadiHarb]

beautifull song i have the remix done by Dj Bang it sounds nice as well

[buskerbuoy]

Minnie the Moocher sounds more like the song than this version

[ynsanno]

hoje nao existem mais musicos como ele...

pena que ninguem vive pra sempre...

[Prodigy502]

gimme six crap-shootin' pallbearers

[RICHIEBSQUI]

Totally awesome

[ezeqyell]

Cab was such a genious...

[KatzenImNebel]

Love this song! Great performance!

[RaptorFarmer]

He sure has a big, manic smile.

[576204]

cab is the god of gods man

[benzman69]

WOW!

What an entertainer.

I saw his performance first in the Blues Brothers.

I kew he was good but just now I realise his pleasure to entertain people!

[Forealness]

Mr Cab made a way for a completely deferant type of music. He was and is the creator of Jive music and ever published a jive dictionary. He gave birth to countless singers, dancers, tap dancers and on and on

Check his history . It's Jive my friend the dawning of rap .

,

[glennmiller2005]

i didn't know she was a she!

[streetsidenomad]

aww man i wish i was as smart as you

even though youre incorrect

[Imaeaturface]

I wish I could have met him.

[lebert13akaE]

Why is it that singers these days are no where near as good as someone like Cab

[irishprice]

because technology has replaced talent in many cases nowadays. Also the press and other televised factors are big deciders in what is good/popular these days. The general public (especially young teenagers) are often easily influenced. Look at how nike is cool. or 50 cent etc. ofcourse this doesnt apply to all teenagers. But when is a single example ever aplicable to the entire problem

[tdub863]

agree... think about like this.. i know you have heard a song on the radio for the first time and hated it.. but after its beat into your head over and over and over it actually starts to become catchy. think black eyed peas.

[Thiora]

i wish i could sing half as good as this guy does

[eddievaliant1]

Cab Calloway must have been an ispiration for Oogie Boogie from "Nightmare Before Christmas": they both say "snake eyes"

[ryanlovesamanda4ever]

haha good connection :)

[Czeppelin]

Yes, he's the inspiration. Danny Elfman (the music-writer of TNBC) is a fan of him.

[caloscalante1518]

i cannot imagine anybody who is NOT a fan of Cab Calloway

[SinisterReality420]

Dudes ill

[ItDuz]

lol im 16 im into rap and rocks and stuff like tht u know but i luv cab calloway he is greater than most rappers or probably even better than all of em

[streetsidenomad]

how could you even compare him to a rapper? rappers dont sing. it takes no talent to rap

[ItDuz]

rap does take tallent other wise every wannabe wud b on tv its got talent but not as much as people such as cab calloway

[RIPhillel]

There are varying levels of talent in the rap "world". To dismiss an entire musical genre as devoid of artistic merit is to show extreme ignorance.

[streetsidenomad]

really fucker?

youre gonna use big words to sound intelligent on youtube?

oh and i cant wait for you to talk about how i said the word fuck in your response.

rap is music. but takes not nearly as much time, effort, or skill, as any other genre using real instrumentals and singing

[Homero4real]

You have a point, several actually.

Sometimes people do come off sounding pretentious when they use "fancy" words in a comment... But i don't see any fancy words lol

And rap is music, but...

HOW THE FUCK DO YOU COMPARE CAB TO ANY RAPPER?

[stridegum1213]

@RIPhillel well you have to look back from where rap came from, poetry, the rhyme, the meter. Iambic pentameter, blank verse, sounds musical to me. Of course there are plenty of talentless rappers, same with every genre. But rap is hard man, its music

[hibraisil]

@stridegum1213 Compared to what is was today's rap is total trash. Nothing that gets radio play is even remotely worth listening to. If you can get past all the thug, bling and gangsta bullshit you might start seeing some talent. But you have to look for it.....of course its the same with pretty much any genre so singling out rap isn't really fair.

And for the record...autotuning sucks ass. nothing but prosthetic talent for those who don't have any of their own.

[glennmiller2005]

that's absolutely not true. i bet you couldn't write hours upon hours of high paced poetry, and deliver it consistently every night. i love it all, swing, hot jazz, funk, rap, hip-hop, bluegrass, tuvan throat singing.

[streetsidenomad]

wow are you really calling rap poetry?

you seriously need to read real poetry

[ocafinest85]

you need to listen to real rap music. You try writing double entederes and phrases to a beat that make sense. Rap music is not my favorite type of music but I respect that it is a difficult thing to do. And to be honest aot of the poets and writers english teachers worship were not well recieved when they lived and recieved a majority of their notoriety posthumously. Listen to Jay Z's Momma I made it or Jay-Z's can't be ife and tell me that's not poetry. Those are only a few examples.

[streetsidenomad]

is there anybody thats not a fag anymore?

you know that real singers do that all the time? and it takes range and actually musical talent to produce it. its not just made with a touch of a button on a computer screen.

[fiddlercrab3]

I respectfully disagree: have you heard any of the "singing" on the radio? Autotune and the touch of a button make anyone a singer. With rap the melody is eschewed and the focus lies on the content. Go check out some Amiri Baraka for powerful spoken word messages.

Also, your comment about fags is inappropriate and not suitable for an intelligent discussion. Please be respectful on the internet.

[RazelG]

@fiddlercrab3

What a shame the majority of rap content consists of "Bitches, blunts, and beers". Yes, there are some genuine artists in the genre of rap, including Amiri as you pointed out, but the majority? Not so much

[fiddlercrab3]

@RazelG Agreed.

[Christianchic907]

You are so right, Fiddler. I laugh at some of the people that call themselves "musicians" these days.

[chowfun18]

@fiddlercrab3 "please be respectful on the internet" LOLWUT

These are youtube comments - the dankest armpit of internet soullessness and sociopathy. What the fuck did you expect?

[saskueX3]

@fiddlercrab3 mang, this here is the internet. You being on youtube on the internet, you are subject to witness and/or be victim to the harsh and unnecessary slander that comes with it. You'll never change the game, mang, never change the game.

[blehug]

@fiddlercrab3

Yeah guys! Internet is serious business!

[TokyoPoliceClub4life]

@fiddlercrab3 serious business up in hurrr!!!

[tophue]

hahaha so do you

[mindseyeopened100]

poetry can be anything, there is no "real" or not real poetry... its just different. Not all rap is, but it's just a different way of doing it that most people aren't accustomed too. Just like how rock n roll "wasn't music" at first, nor punk, now it's some of the greatest music of all time. Even jazz was once considered for the poor and drug crazed...

If something is written from the heart about a person and/or life, then it's poetry. But, again, not all rap is, some, but not all.

[mindseyeopened100]

this is where people go wrong, just cause it's a vocal part of music that isn't singing, doesn't mean it's talentless. It's a way of making music where you DONT sing, and that's the point... it's a unique genre of music. Just like rock n roll and punk were once considered to not be "real" music cause of their loud and raucous sounds... it's going against the norms. Okay, so apparently music is to be a perfect musician like Sinatra, well here's the punk mentality in hip hop, go against the norm.

[streetsidenomad]

that is totally not true. Although rock and punk were different they still involved playing actual instruments, and singing. rap is not breaking the norm. Rock and punk were always considered real.

[mindseyeopened100]

Listen to the beats in hip hop, sure nobody is PLAYING those instruments, but someone who knows music well put all the parts together whether sampled or not (and some hip hop artists make their own beats and dont sample) and it DOES take musical knowledge to make beats that are in key. Rap is along the lines of spoken word put to music. It's put to a beat and some sort of melody, electronic or not, it's still music, rap is not just a voice on a recording and a drum beat.

[fiddlercrab3]

And sometimes they are! The best known example would probably be the Roots, with ?uestlove on the drums. He's a monster!

[mindseyeopened100]

To the fans of pop music at the time punk and rock came about, they were not considered to be "playing" instruments, they were considered to be butchering music. Some punk musicians were terrible, but got away with it (Minor Threat's guitarist). Some bluesmen had terrible voices technically but sounded cool.. John Lee Hooker basically spoke in a raspy voice in rythm. Rap is not as good as blues of course but it's along the same lines, a voice along to a backing track that sounds good to some.

[streetsidenomad]

i dont know if you know what you are talking about...

[mindseyeopened100]

yes, I know exactly what I'm talking about. I think it's that you don't know what I'm talking about, for some reason. Can't follow? It's not that hard. Everything I said made perfect sense now tell me what you can't grasp and I'll try and dumb it down for you as best I can.

[streetsidenomad]

dohhh nice one!

you've obviously proved you're tough so maybe i shouldnt argue cause youll kick my ass =(

[mindseyeopened100]

Wow, what are you talking about? I was never angry, I liked having the debate we had... but rather than either arguing a new point back or admitting I was right (which I was), you just said I didn't know what I was talking about.. because it was something you didn't agree with. You obviously don't know what tough is if you think my last post sounded tough, all I did was try to figure out what part of basic english you couldn't comprehend... Ill leave you alone since you're likely not "all there"

[streetsidenomad]

hahaha youre a fag dude

[mindseyeopened100]

Uh, no actually. Even if I was it's not like it's a bad thing, moron... that statement shows you're probably like a dumbass 12 year old. Just because I'm right and a lot smarter than you, doesn't mean I like to have sex with men. In fact, that doesn't make any sense at all. You must be thinking about "fags" and can't seem to get it off your mind; and since you're so good at picking them out, you must be one yourself. It's okay, you'll realize it eventually.

[streetsidenomad]

hahahahahaha you have no idea how much that comment just reinforced my point :)

[mindseyeopened100]

Well you didn't really have a point that made any sense to begin with.

[streetsidenomad]

ha ok fag :)

[mindseyeopened100]

judging by your uploaded videos, it looks like you know all about what a fag is.

[streetsidenomad]

yeah dude cause those were serious vids man

[mindseyeopened100]

didnt say they were or werent, but youre really in them, really wearing those clothes, and acting the way youre acting. Whether its serious or not, it still looks how it looks. Face it, you look gay, nothing wrong with it. I don't know which person you are but it doesn't matter. Either you're gay abercrombie surfer guy or the 80's looking "i just got done blowing the gym teacher" guy. I can tell you're probably from a very white, sheltered town, hence your closed mindedness. I pity you.

[streetsidenomad]

ha i cant get over these comebacks

[mindseyeopened100]

I know, right? They're pretty good. Hopefully I've made you somewhat smarter by reading my words. I have that affect on people. So next time you "debate" somebody, maybe now you'll have more up your sleeve than "you're a fag, shut up fag, what a fag... fag fag fag". I'm glad you realize I'm better than you, smarter, wittier... and so on.

[streetsidenomad]

ha you have no idea how wrong this is :)

[btinsley1]

two words.....swagger baby !

[oyde]

ergr84 are you talking about Cassandra Wilson ? There were also some of the older delta blues singers from the 30's and 40's but I don't know of one in particular. Can you imagine how many versions went unheard by the masses who never knew what a Juke Joint was?

[ergr84]

Thanks guys, I found it - her name is Beth Scalet...but I'm now on a mission to hear as many versions as I can! (btw if you search her on youtube, there is a brief interview where she says that "St james" was the song that actually made her want to start singing)

[ergr84]

There is a great version by a lesser-known female blues singer. Does anyone remember her name?? This is really bugging me. Thanks!

[zionsublime]

not sure if you're thinking old or new but I believe Mama Kin does this song.

[mrkystrky]

Quite a variety of comments. Its live Its Cab Its FAB. sorry bout dat. What a song. I have spent some time listening to different versions on YOUTuBE. Since television and radio segragated

something happened to live musi on air (cable, etc)

[qbone20]

whoa, that is swag and class!

[HifiNam]

He's a living scary cartoon from the 30's

[judemblackbbc]

Absolutely incredible! This is as much fun to watch as the Betty Boop cartoon "Snow White". Thank you for posting this wonderful video.

[youbobwhatsnew]

I don't mean to disparage the man, but what's with the sunny, smiley presentation? This is one of the saddest songs out there... ?

[RichardLameo]

He's a showman, give a smile to the audience and they'll be more lost in the music than the lyrics.

[straylynx]

I woulds say it's as strange as people laughing at a funeral. It's now wrong though, just natural.

Music makes people feel good, even if you're crying.

[JimJamRazzMaTaz]

I think hes going for deranged more than cheery

[khaals]

Jazz is about combining the happy with the sad... I remember Leonard Bernstein giving a big speech about that.

[betakms]

*-*

[ledzepp461]

Awesome beyond words.

[6x7045]

fantastic voice, almost scary

[he11hound420]

praise be who posted thee

[dinhcubob]

what a voice, all i can say is incredible. i love it

[djsuperbadd]

Now, THIS is what I call an entertainer. I can't take my eyes off him.

Thanks, Cab x

[NoirFan01]

Agreed. Mesmerizing to watch and listen to!

[monaramis]

he had an unbelivable voice....fantastic

[benarddor]

handsome and his voice is outstanding.

[stuijn]

My god, what a wonderful video of him. Cab is so awesome.

[furrowin]

this song is a masterpiece and cab was a real preformer

[sjoerdgietem]

Cab must be the only one capable of performing a sad blues, and still making me smile!

He's gooooood

[thevideoresponsedude]

cab is my rotoscoped ghostly boyfriend...

[jamesjeffreypaul]

Transcendent.

[HaarrrleyFan]

"Snake Eyes!" I love Mr. Cab Calloway, the one and only "Hi-De-Ho Man" himself

[errn780]

Spooky yes, but spooky in a way only a great entertainer can be. What a talented person he was

[Fabimann]

A very spooky person.