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The Songbooks (1950 - 1959)

By Russell Perry | Jazz at 100
August 13, 2019
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Songs from what came to be known as the Great American Songbook, have been part of jazz perhaps since The

Original Dixieland Jazz Band

band / ensemble / orchestra
- 1936

" data-original-title="" title="">Original Dixieland Jazz Band began recording

" data-original-title="" title="">Irving Berlin compositions. In the 1940s, singer Lee Wiley recorded several collections of 78s, known as "albums"—a name that stuck into the LP era, focused on the work of individual composers like

George Gershwin

composer / conductor
1898 - 1937

" data-original-title="" title="">George Gershwin or

Cole Porter

composer / conductor
1891 - 1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Cole Porter. With the advent of the Long Playing record, the idea of recording whole LPs dedicated to the work of a specific songwriter or songwriting team took off, initiated by

Ella Fitzgerald

vocals
1917 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Ella Fitzgerald.

Playlist

Host Intro 0:00
Ella Fitzgerald with
Ellis Larkins
piano
1923 - 2002
" data-original-title="" title="">Ellis Larkins "Someone to Watch Over Me" from The Jazz Singers (Smithsonian) 2:57
Ella Fitzgerald With Buddy Bregman's Orchestra "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" from Sings Cole Porter (Verve) 6:11
Host speaks 9:42
Ella Fitzgerald -
Louis Armstrong
trumpet and vocals
1901 - 1971
" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Armstrong with The Russell Garcia Orchestra. "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" from Porgy and Bess (Verve) 10:53
Gil Evans
composer / conductor
1912 - 1988
" data-original-title="" title="">Gil Evans Orchestra with
Miles Davis
trumpet
1926 - 1991
" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess (Columbia) 16:21
Host speaks 19:38
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto
1920 - 1955
" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Parker Quintet "I Love Paris" from Charlie Parker Plays Cole Porter. (Verve) 21:47
Sonny Criss
saxophone, alto
1927 - 1977
" data-original-title="" title="">Sonny Criss Quintet "Love for Sale" from Sonny Criss Plays Cole Porter. (Imperial) 25:51
Anita O'Day
vocals
1919 - 2006
" data-original-title="" title="">Anita O'Day With
Billy May
composer / conductor
1916 - 2004
" data-original-title="" title="">Billy May Orchestra "Night and Day" from Anita Swings Cole Porter (Verve) 29:34
Host speaks 31:33
Shelly Manne
drums
1920 - 1984
" data-original-title="" title="">Shelly Manne and his Friends "Get Me to the Church on Time" from My Fair Lady (Contemporary) 34:07
Art Blakey
drums
1919 - 1990
" data-original-title="" title="">Art Blakey &
The Jazz Messengers
" data-original-title="" title="">The Jazz Messengers "I Could Have Danced All Night" from Selections from Lerner and Lowe's My Fair Lady, Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon (Vik LAK) 38:18
Chet Baker
trumpet and vocals
1929 - 1988
" data-original-title="" title="">Chet Baker Septet "Show Me" from Plays the Best of Lerner & Loewe (Riverside) 42:36
Host speaks 49:02
Mel Torme
vocals
1925 - 1999
" data-original-title="" title="">Mel Torme with the
Marty Paich
composer / conductor
1925 - 1995
" data-original-title="" title="">Marty Paich Dectet "Cheek to Cheek" from Cheek to Cheek (Bethlehem) 50:24
Paul Weston Orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald and
Harry "Sweets" Edison
trumpet
1915 - 1999
" data-original-title="" title="">Harry "Sweets" Edison "Blue Skies" from The Norton Collection (Norton) 53:22
Host Outro 57:06

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