Count Basie and his band play "Air Mail Special", while dancers jitterbug.
It's one of more than two thousand "soundies" produced between 1939 and 1947, meant to be played on a device called a Mills Panoram. For seven years they could be found in bars, night clubs, and other places where people would gather. Think of them as music videos, available for viewing at a dime a song.
Making judgments about which version of a jazz song is best is a mug's game. There's certainly amazing energy in this version. My favorite remains Ella Fitzgerald's scat version, because, well, it's Ella Fitzgerald. But if you prefer this rendition, I wouldn't blame you.
It's one of more than two thousand "soundies" produced between 1939 and 1947, meant to be played on a device called a Mills Panoram. For seven years they could be found in bars, night clubs, and other places where people would gather. Think of them as music videos, available for viewing at a dime a song.
Making judgments about which version of a jazz song is best is a mug's game. There's certainly amazing energy in this version. My favorite remains Ella Fitzgerald's scat version, because, well, it's Ella Fitzgerald. But if you prefer this rendition, I wouldn't blame you.
