Duke Ellington - It don't mean a thing (1943)

Duke Ellington and his orchestra playing this awesome tune in 1943.

"It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for Brunswick Records (Br 6265) on February 2, 1932. Ivie Anderson sang the vocal and trombonist Joe Nanton and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges played the instrumental solos. The title was based on the oft stated credo of Ellington's former trumpeter Bubber Miley, who was dying of tuberculosis. The song became famous, Ellington wrote, "as the expression of a sentiment which prevailed among jazz musicians at the time." Probably the first song to use the phrase "swing" in the title, it introduced the term into everyday language and presaged the Swing Era by three years. The Ellington band played the song continuously over the years and recorded it numerous times, most often with trumpeter Ray Nance as vocalist.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• duke
• ellington
• piano
• it
• don't
• mean
• thing
• 1943
• orchestra
• jazz
• swing
• bebop
• irving
• mills
• tricky
• sam
• nanton
• trombone
• solo

[elbraymundo]

How does he do that yah-yah shit?! I MUST KNOW!

[TheSuperspudnik]

0:10 to 0:14 just made my day

[FreshAir911]

OMG I'm hearing this for the first time and I really think this is the best stuff I ever heard... I've been looking for something like this for so long :D

[CrazyGuyMeh]

@elbraymundo As a trombone player myself, I can safely say that I haven't the foggiest idea. I might just try everything I know some time just to see If I can get close to that sound.

[gamezrule44]

@elbraymundo Basically by saying "yah-yah" into the trombone as he plays it. It takes practice, but can be done.

[T08E]

What did that trombone say? I didn't quite catch it.

[wiiguru13]

That trombonist is incredible, I want to play like that.

[m1grandboy]

I Love this song!! I played it in the jazz band three years ago and I still remember how to play half of it by heart.

[EvanTempleton]

@MrKaplan3000 You've probably already gotten the answer, but it's Ray Nance, who also plays trumpet in the band. Somewhat of a double.

[showbizz10]

we go from this awesome form of music to the bullshit auto-tune fast talking "songs" that we have today

[andromedarr]

@elbraymundo Easy, Just speak into the instrument. It is called growling on the flute, saxophone and clarinet, but doenst work that way in the trumpet and every other brass instrument, because then you hear the voice, like you did in the vid.

[FundaiX]

Dat swing.