The song of the day for Sunday, March 15, 2026, is “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”
About This Song
“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” was written in 1931 by Duke Ellington and 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 “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” in May 1999 for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement and conducted the big band.
Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.
“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.
Dear Mr. Bennett
The John Pizzarelli Trio (Pizzarelli on guitar and vocals, Michael Karn on bass, and Isaiah J. Thompson on piano) recorded “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” for Dear Mr. Bennett, released in March 2026.
Dear Mr. Bennett is available for purchase on CD and vinyl at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tower Records, and other record stores. It is also available on most popular streaming services.
We’ve got Duke Ellington’s band and Ivie Anderson on vocals singing “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”