DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #130: Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue

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Duke Ellington Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue

Our song of the week is a legendary one. As a (Balboa) dancer, you love it or you hate it, there’s nothing in between. I belong to the group of lovers. What is so special about this song you may ask. Well, read further Diminuendo In Blue And Crescendo In Blue Duke Ellington wrote “Diminuendo In Blue” and “Crescendo In Blue” in 1937. The songs were recorded individually on opposite sides of a 78 rpm record and they were performed as separate pieces until 1951. At the Birdland club in that year, tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves asked Duke for a solo [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #104: C Jam Blues

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DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week #104: C Jam Blues by Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

The jazz standard C Jam Blues, originated by clarinetist Barney Bigard and arranged by Duke Ellington (see Song of the Week #56) is a popular tune among jazz musicians and there are hundreds of different recorded versions available. This week’s song is a live version by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with artistic director Winton Marsalis, an outstanding and highly reputable jazz musician. Photo: Clay Patrick McBride The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra is a key component of New York City’s Jazz at Lincoln Center program, serving as the highly versatile house band for a wide variety of concert events. It maintains a [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #89: Rexatious

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DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week #89: "Rexatious" by Rex Stewart & His 52nd Street Stompers

Sometimes, it’s really difficult to explain in words why I like a certain song so much. Rexatious is one of them. Nevertheless, I’ll try it anyway. It must be the rhythm section! This steady ongoing beat “boom-ta-boom-ta” by the drums and then the bass, first only on 1 and 3 and after the break at ca. 0:40 on every beat, is like a heart beat going through that song. Of course, this is always the sense of the rhythm section but here it sounds differently! I don’t want forget the other instruments in this song, but this rhythm is just [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #81: It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)

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DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week #81: It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) by Duke Ellington

This song is definitely one of the hymns of swing music: It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), composed in 1931 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills. It was recorded the first time on February 2, 1932 for Brunswick Records. Ivie Anderson sang the vocal and trombonist Joe Nanton and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges played the instrumental solos. There are many stories about the origin of the song title, as Jeremy Wilson is writing on jazzstandards.com: Depending on whom you believe, it was a favorite saying of James “Bubber” Miley, who played the trumpet [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #66: Empty Ballroom Blues

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Duke Ellington - Empty Ballroom Blues

I choose my songs of the week with no particular system. Sometimes it’s an event that inspires me, sometimes it’s a DJ set I played that inspires me, sometimes I’m just digging in my music library. There is no other reason why it took me 65 songs until I’m eventually featuring the first song by one of the greatest composers ever lived, it is nobody else than Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (29.04.1899 – 24.05.1974)! Duke Ellington is actually one of my favourite swing artist and I guess the main reason is because the first swing album I bought was a [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #56: C Jam Blues

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DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week #56: C Jam Blues by Barney Bigard

C Jam Blues is another jazz standard every swing dancers should know. For this series I have chosen the very first recording from 1941. The tune with the former title “C Blues” was recorded by a small group out of Duke Ellington‘s orchestra and was released under the name of Barney Bigard & His Orchestra. In the following year, Duke Ellington recorded “C Jam Blues” with his big band for RCA Victor Records. As jazzstandards.com states, clarinetist Barney Bigard is likely the originator of the tune, but Duke Ellington was the one who arranged it for the big band. In [...]

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