The song of the day for Monday, September 8, 2014 is “Undecided Blues.”
About This Song
“Undecided Blues” was written in 1941 by blues shouter Jimmy Rushing (also known as Five-by-Five, due to his stature). Rushing as born in Oklahoma City into to a musical family; his father was trumpet player and his mother a singer. He started his career as an itinerant blues singer in the early 1920s. He sang with Jelly Roll Morton and other early jazz orchestra before joining the Bennie Moten band in 1929. When Moten died in 1935, he joined the Count Basie Orchestra, which was his home for many years. Rushing, with the Count Basie Orchestra, first recorded “Undecided Blues” in 1941.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded this song in 2001 for his blues album Playin’ With My Friends. The vocal arrangements are by Rob Mathes; Phil Ramone produced the album.
About Today
To celebrate a recent birthday and to prepare ourselves for our upcoming trip to the 57th Monterey Jazz Festival, The Year of Tony Bennett crew (all two of us) decided to go for a pedicure. For some reason, we both decided to paint our toenails blue. We don’t have the blues, but we do have blue toes. I think we’ll fit it with the ocean in Monterey.
“Undecided Blues,” as well as the album Playin’ With My Friends, is available from iTunes.
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