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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

December 3, 2012 By Suzanne 1 Comment

Song of the Day: It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing

I needed some Duke Ellington today and so the song of the day for Monday, December 3, 2012 is It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing

About It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing

This great song was composed by Duke Ellington in 1931, with lyrics by Irving Mills. It was first recorded in 1932 by Ellington’s orchestra with vocals by Ivie Anderson and instrumental solos by Joe Nanton and Johnny Hodges.  In addition to being a terrific song, it also introduced the term “swing” into the jazz vocabulary and was cornerstone for the swing era. It’s an often-recorded song by vocal (Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone) and instrumental artists (Thelonius Monk, Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli). And it swings like crazy!

About This Version

This version is from the Grammy-winning album MTV Unplugged, released in 1994. It features some wonderful drumming by Clayton Cameron.

This song, as well as the entire album MTV Unplugged, is available on iTunes.

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Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Clayton Cameron, Duke Ellington, MTV Unplugged

Comments

  1. Nick Riggio, Sr. says

    December 3, 2012 at 2:10 am

    This is a truly great version of this song. Clayton Cameron brought a new intensity to Tony Bennett’s swinging style. Two icons at work!

    Reply

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