The song of the day for Wednesday, October 28, 2015 is “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”
About This Song
Today’s song, “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” was written in 1931 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills. This song was one of the first songs to use the word “swing” in the title and this song certainly defined what it meant to swing. Ellington recorded the song with Ivie Anderson on vocals and it was an immediate hit. It has been widely recorded since it was written and the song is a lot of fun to play and to listen to. Significant recordings include those by Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Gigi Gryce, Tony Bennett and Thelonious Monk.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded this version of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” in May 1999 for his centennial tribute album to Duke Ellington, Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. The arrangement is by Ralph Burns and features the Ralph Sharon Quartet.
“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.
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