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.