The song of the day for Friday, March 1, 2024, 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, with lyrics by Irving Mills. It 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 and Lady Gaga recorded “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek, featuring an arrangement by Marion Evans. It features Joe Lovano on tenor sax and George Rabbi on trumpet.

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing),” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available on Apple Music.

Cheek To Cheek won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Here’s the fantastic 1931 Ellington recording of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)” with Ivie Anderson on vocals.