Cab Calloway

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #140: Port Of Rico

05.11.2012 by Chris

Jean Baptiste “Illinois” Jacquet (Oct. 31, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was one of the all-time great tenor saxophonists and inventor of the Rhythm & Blues tenor style. His solo on “Flying Home” with Lionel Hampton in 1942 is considered the first R&B saxophone solo.

Beside Lionel Hampton, Jacquet also worked with Cab Calloway (1943-1944) and Count Basie (1945-1946) before he started his own medium-size band in 1946.

He recorded and toured regularly during the 1950s and was still a big name during the next few decades. Usually playing with smaller groups, he led a part-time big band from the late 1980s.

Port Of Rico

A beautiful, mellow and groovy swing tune, recorded with an all-star line-up: Illinois Jacquet (ts), Hank Jones (p), Count Basie (org!), Freddie Green (g), Ray Brown (b) and Jimmy Crawford (d).

[easyazon-image align=”left” asin=”B000VUBGN4″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AGbWJA0zL._SL160_.jpg” width=”160″]Title: [easyazon-link asin=”B000VUDA4C” locale=”us”]Port Of Rico[/easyazon-link]
Artist: Illinois Jacquet
Recorded: July 22, 1952, NYC
Album: [easyazon-link asin=”B000W1TJV8″ locale=”us”]After You've Gone[/easyazon-link]
Tempo: 130 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop

Click the link to download the song at
iTunes EU ･ iTunes US ･ [easyazon-link asin=”B004PSS87A” locale=”de”]Amazon DE[/easyazon-link] ･ [easyazon-link asin=”B000VUDA4C” locale=”us”]Amazon US[/easyazon-link] ･ [easyazon-link asin=”B004PSEKEA” locale=”uk”]Amazon UK[/easyazon-link] ･ emusic

How do you like Illinois Jacquet's song? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Every Monday, I post a new “Song of the Week“.
You can find the songs also on my Spotify playlist or on 8tracks.

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #129: At The Clambake Carnival

20.08.2012 by Chris

Cabell “Cab“ Calloway III (Dec. 25, 1907 – Nov. 18, 1994) was one of the most famous black stars in the 1930s-40s.

He was a (underrated) vocalist, performer and bandleader of one of the most popular African American big bands during that era with the Cotton Club as his home stage.

Cab Calloway was known to hire the best musicians and pay them top wages. He was convinced that when he had top sidemen it made him look good.

His sidemen included such great musicians as trumpeters Doc Cheatham, Dizzy Gillespie and Jonah Jones, tenor saxophonists Ben Webster, Chu Berry, Illinois Jacquet, Ike Quebec and Sam Taylor, pianist Bennie Payne, guitarist Danny Barker, bassist Milt Hinton, drummer Cozy Cole, and others.

I highly recommend to watch the Cab Calloway documentary “Sketches” (1 hour).

At The Clambake Carnival

The song starts at 1:33. The sound quality is poor but you get the idea ;).

Because Cab Calloway isn't singing in that song, it's not so obvious that it's by him and his orchestra.

“At The Clambake Carnival” is a lightly swinging tune with a simple base rhythm. Therefore it's also very suitable for (Balboa) beginner classes.

[easyazon-image align=”left” asin=”B000QZYYS8″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61P9HsPO1DL._SL160_.jpg” width=”160″]Title: [easyazon-link asin=”B000QNZMDQ” locale=”us”]At The Clambake Carnival[/easyazon-link]
Artist: Cab Calloway
Recorded: 1938
Album: [easyazon-link asin=”B000QZYYS8″ locale=”us”]New York 1937-1938, Vol. 2 Disk B[/easyazon-link]
Tempo: 191 bpm
Dance: Balboa, Lindy Hop

Click the link to download the song at
iTunes CH/EU ･ iTunes US ･ [easyazon-link asin=”B001S6TSO4″ locale=”de”]Amazon.de[/easyazon-link] ･ [easyazon-link asin=”B000QNZMDQ” locale=”us”]A'zon.com[/easyazon-link] ･ [easyazon-link asin=”B001FJFP9Q” locale=”uk”]A'zon.co.uk[/easyazon-link] ･ emusic

What do you think about Cab Calloway's music? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Every Monday, I post a new “Song of the Week“.
You can find the songs also on my Spotify playlist or on 8tracks.

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Watch the full one hour documentary Cab Calloway: Sketches

01.03.2012 by Chris

Cab Calloway, 1947, by William P. Gottlieb — Cab Calloway, ca. Jan. 1947, by William P. Gottlieb

Cabell “Cab“ Calloway (Dec. 25, 1907 – Nov. 18, 1994) ranked among the most famous black stars in the 1930s, a charismatic and unique performer. He was a jazz vocalist, dancer and bandleader of one of the most popular African American big bands during the Harlem Renaissance and jazz and swing eras of the 1930s-40s.

Calloway was also an ambassador for his race, leading one of the most popular African American big bands during the Harlem Renaissance and jazz and swing eras of the 1930s-40s, with Harlem’s famous Cotton Club as his home stage.

Best known for his “Hi de hi de hi de ho” refrain from signature song “Minnie the Moocher,” portrayal of Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess (1952), and role in The Blues Brothers (1980), Cab influenced countless performers, including Michael and Janet Jackson, and many of today’s hip-hop artists.

American Masters celebrates Calloway's career and legacy during Black History Month with the new documentary Cab Calloway: Sketches which was premiering in the U.S. on February 27, 2012, on PBS.

Cab Calloway: Sketches

Watch here the full one hour documentary:

Watch Cab Calloway: Sketches on PBS. See more from American Masters.

NOTE: If you are not able to watch the documentary due to regional restrictions, you may install a software like Hotspot Shield to fix that. If you do so, you act on your own risk! (I've tested it and it works well.)

Check out About the Documentary for more informations.

Cab Calloway: Sketches is a co-production of Artline Films, ARTE France, and AVRO, in association with Inscape Productions and THIRTEEN’s American Masters for WNET.

Gail Levin is director and executive producer for Inscape Productions. Jean-François Pitet and Gail Levin are co-writers. Olivier Mille is producer for Artline Films. Susan Lacy is the series creator and executive producer of American Masters.

This program is made possible in part by the support of CNC, PROCIREP, ANGOA, and SACEM.

Do you like the documentary? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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