JSngry Posted March 8, 2009 Report Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) Q: What original composition by a beloved R&B star received its debut performance on a Woody Herman record? Edited March 8, 2009 by JSngry Quote
Don Brown Posted March 8, 2009 Report Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) Louis Jordan's Caldonia. Jordan had actually recorded the piece before Woody, but Decca Records sat on it and Woody had the first hit recording on Columbia. An amusing sidebar is the fact that Jordan had copyrighted the tune under his wife's name and got no royalties after his marriage broke up. Edited March 8, 2009 by Don Brown Quote
Ted O'Reilly Posted March 8, 2009 Report Posted March 8, 2009 Louis Jordan's Caldonia. Jordan had actually recorded the piece before Woody, but Decca Records sat on it and Woody had the first hit recording on Columbia. An amusing sidebar is the fact that Jordan had copyrighted the tune under his wife's name and got no royalties after his marriage broke up. I mighta known Don Brown would know the backstory as well as the fact. (And I can guarantee you, he knows it off the top of his head -- no need to look things up...) Quote
JSngry Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Posted March 8, 2009 Hmmm, I did no know that! Interesting, but ultimately wrong. If Jordan had actually recorded it before Woody, then the Jordan performance would still be the debut "performance", and the Herman would then be the debut "issue". All of which is a CYOA way to say that this is not the answer I had in mind. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted March 8, 2009 Report Posted March 8, 2009 An amusing sidebar is the fact that Jordan had copyrighted the tune under his wife's name and got no royalties after his marriage broke up. I'm not sure Jordan would approve of the word "amusing"... Quote
Ted O'Reilly Posted March 8, 2009 Report Posted March 8, 2009 Weird, wild stuff... "Caldonia", or the backstory? Quote
Don Brown Posted March 8, 2009 Report Posted March 8, 2009 I'm sure Jordan didn't find it the least bit amusing, Jazzmoose, but I did. Apparently Jordan's accountant had advised him to put some of his originals in his wife's name since his royalties were affecting his taxes. Sometimes you're better off ignoring your accountant. Quote
JSngry Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Posted March 8, 2009 No doubt. But we still have no answer to the original question! Quote
JSngry Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Posted March 8, 2009 Here's a hint - the song in question was recorded/released by Woody sometimes in the 1960s, by not by its composer until sometimes in the 1970s. This might make it too easy, but hey.... Quote
ghost of miles Posted March 8, 2009 Report Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) Donny Hathaway, "Flying Easy." But I 'fess up to making a connection between this query and a recent e-mail of yours... Edited March 8, 2009 by ghost of miles Quote
JSngry Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Posted March 8, 2009 Donny Hathaway, "Flying Easy." Woody's version was recorded, as an instrumental, for Heavy Exposure on Cadet. It was, in fact, the opening tune of the album. Donny is listed in the personnel as playing organ on the album, so there's another trivia question for further on up the road... Donny's version, a vocal, was done on 1973's Extensions Of A Man. Both versions are, in their own way, superb. The Woody cut is one of his best-realized late-60s attempts at getting a "now sound", and Donny's version is, well, Donny, 'nuff said. Either way, it's a pretty neat tune in and of itself, and could easily be brought into any number of jazz repertoires w/o too much difficulty. Thanks to all for playing. The back story to "Caledonia" was an education! Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted March 8, 2009 Report Posted March 8, 2009 and I thought Kanye West was claiming authorship of Northwest Passage. Quote
ghost of miles Posted January 26, 2010 Report Posted January 26, 2010 Woody's version was recorded, as an instrumental, for Heavy Exposure on Cadet. It was, in fact, the opening tune of the album. Donny is listed in the personnel as playing organ on the album, so there's another trivia question for further on up the road... Donny's version, a vocal, was done on 1973's Extensions Of A Man. Both versions are, in their own way, superb. The Woody cut is one of his best-realized late-60s attempts at getting a "now sound", and Donny's version is, well, Donny, 'nuff said. Either way, it's a pretty neat tune in and of itself, and could easily be brought into any number of jazz repertoires w/o too much difficulty. Thanks to all for playing. The back story to "Caledonia" was an education! I just found a $3 vinyl copy of HEAVY EXPOSURE in a shop here last week--looking forward to giving it a spin, per your endorsement here & elsewhere, Jim. Quote
fasstrack Posted January 26, 2010 Report Posted January 26, 2010 I heard a J.J. Johnson big band CD the other day that had Never My Love, by the Association, on it. Presumably, arranged by J.J. Pretty nice. Quote
medjuck Posted January 26, 2010 Report Posted January 26, 2010 I thought you were referring to "Baby I've got News For You" (I think that's the title which Woody recorded before Ray Charles did it on "Genius + Jazz". Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted January 26, 2010 Report Posted January 26, 2010 I thought you were referring to "Baby I've got News For You" (I think that's the title which Woody recorded before Ray Charles did it on "Genius + Jazz". But it was written by Ray Alfred, not Ray Charles, according to the sleeve. Who was Ray Alfred? MG Quote
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