Jazz Changes

Songs from 1926 to 1942

Swing era through the years

These are 23 songs by swing-era bandleaders and players, written between 1926 and 1942. Fourteen are by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Juan Tizol or Mercer Ellington, and the rest by Fats Waller, Don Redman, Ray Noble, Charlie Shavers and others. The page follows them from their first records by orchestras and small bands to the trios, singers, guitarists and organists who keep playing them. Each decade below tells part of that story through records of the songs listed after it.

Through the years

  1. 1920s

    The earliest song here is from 1926, when Jack Palmer and Spencer Williams write I've Found a New Baby and Clarence Williams' Blue Five records it with Eva Taylor singing. In 1929 Fats Waller writes Ain't Misbehavin' for a revue and Honeysuckle Rose for a Harlem dance act. Louis Armstrong records Ain't Misbehavin' in July and Waller in August, and McKinney's Cotton Pickers record Don Redman's Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You in November.

    Fats Waller Ain't Misbehavin' · 1929Louis Armstrong Ain't Misbehavin' · 1929McKinney's Cotton Pickers Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You · 1929
  2. 1930s

    Duke Ellington's orchestra records Mood Indigo, It Don't Mean a Thing with Ivie Anderson, Sophisticated Lady, Solitude, Moonglow, In a Sentimental Mood and Prelude to a Kiss. Chick Webb, Count Basie, Charlie Barnet and the Benny Goodman Quartet take up other songs, Art Tatum plays Sophisticated Lady alone, and Bing Crosby's What's New reaches number two in 1939.

    Duke Ellington Mood Indigo · 1930Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra, vocal by Ivie Anderson It Don't Mean a Thing · 1932Sidney Bechet and His New Orleans Feetwarmers I've Found a New Baby · 1932Duke Ellington Sophisticated Lady · 1933Art Tatum Sophisticated Lady · 1933Fats Waller and His Rhythm Honeysuckle Rose · 1934Duke Ellington Moonglow · 1934Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra Solitude · 1934
    18 more
    Chick Webb Stompin' at the Savoy · 1934Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra In a Sentimental Mood · 1935Barney Bigard and His Jazzopators Caravan · 1936Benny Goodman Quartet Moonglow · 1936Benny Goodman Quartet Stompin' at the Savoy · 1936Quintette du Hot Club de France Ain't Misbehavin' · 1937Count Basie Honeysuckle Rose · 1937Teddy Wilson I've Found a New Baby · 1937Ray Noble Cherokee · 1938Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra Prelude to a Kiss · 1938Benny Goodman Stompin' at the Savoy · 1938John Kirby and His Onyx Club Boys Undecided · 1938Bob Crosby What's New? · 1938Charlie Barnet Cherokee · 1939Count Basie Cherokee · 1939Chick Webb Undecided · 1939Fats Waller and His Rhythm Undecided · 1939Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter What's New? · 1939
  3. 1940s

    Ellington's orchestra records Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Take the A Train, I Got It Bad, Perdido and C Jam Blues, and Johnny Hodges leads the first record of Things Ain't What They Used to Be. Small groups follow: Charlie Christian plays Stompin' at the Savoy at Minton's Playhouse, the King Cole Trio and Erroll Garner's trio record, and in 1945 Charlie Parker builds Ko-Ko on Cherokee's .

    Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra Don't Get Around Much Anymore · 1940Chu Berry and His Jazz Ensemble Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You · 1941Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra, vocal by Ivie Anderson I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) · 1941Benny Goodman Sextet I've Found a New Baby · 1941Charlie Christian Stompin' at the Savoy · 1941Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra Take the "A" Train · 1941Johnny Hodges Things Ain't What They Used to Be · 1941Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra C Jam Blues · 1942
    11 more
    Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra Perdido · 1942Charlie Barnet Things Ain't What They Used to Be · 1942The King Cole Trio Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You · 1943Art Tatum Trio Honeysuckle Rose · 1944Charlie Parker’s Reboppers Cherokee · 1945Bud Powell Trio Cherokee · 1949Nat King Cole Lush Life · 1949Ella Fitzgerald at JATP Perdido · 1949Coleman Hawkins and His Rhythm Sophisticated Lady · 1949Erroll Garner Trio Stompin' at the Savoy · 1949Erroll Garner Trio Undecided · 1949
  4. 1950s

    The songs move from big bands to small groups and the long-playing record. Ellington stretches Mood Indigo to about 15 minutes and Sophisticated Lady past eleven, Thelonious Monk records an album of Ellington songs in 1955, and Ella Fitzgerald sings Caravan, Perdido and Take the A Train with his orchestra on her 1957 Duke Ellington Song Book. Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane take songs up too.

    Sarah Vaughan Ain't Misbehavin' · 1950Duke Ellington Mood Indigo · 1950Duke Ellington Sophisticated Lady · 1950The Dave Brubeck Trio Undecided · 1950Wynton Kelly Trio I've Found a New Baby · 1951Gene Ammons Septet Undecided · 1951Dizzy Gillespie Quintet Ain't Misbehavin' · 1952Milt Jackson Quintet Don't Get Around Much Anymore · 1952
    60 more
    Oscar Peterson Trio Don't Get Around Much Anymore · 1952Oscar Peterson Trio I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) · 1952Billie Holiday Moonglow · 1952Billie Holiday Solitude · 1952Duke Ellington Take the "A" Train · 1952Oscar Peterson Trio Take the "A" Train · 1952Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet In a Sentimental Mood · 1953Duke Ellington In a Sentimental Mood · 1953The Dizzy Gillespie - Stan Getz Sextet It Don't Mean a Thing · 1953The Dave Brubeck Quartet Perdido · 1953Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach Perdido · 1953Duke Ellington Prelude to a Kiss · 1953Dizzy Gillespie Caravan · 1954Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie I've Found a New Baby · 1954Sarah Vaughan Prelude to a Kiss · 1954Ben Webster Prelude to a Kiss · 1954Thelonious Monk Caravan · 1955Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet Cherokee · 1955Louis Armstrong Honeysuckle Rose · 1955Anita O'Day Honeysuckle Rose · 1955Thelonious Monk Trio I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) · 1955Thelonious Monk Trio It Don't Mean a Thing · 1955Frank Sinatra Mood Indigo · 1955Thelonious Monk Mood Indigo · 1955Thelonious Monk Trio Solitude · 1955Thelonious Monk Trio Sophisticated Lady · 1955Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet Take the "A" Train · 1955Clifford Brown with Strings What's New? · 1955Bill Evans I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) · 1956Ella Fitzgerald In a Sentimental Mood · 1956Zoot Sims - Henri Renaud Quintet I've Found a New Baby · 1956Erroll Garner Trio Moonglow · 1956Art Pepper Quartet Stompin' at the Savoy · 1956Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Undecided · 1956Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington Caravan · 1957Nat King Cole with Billy May's Orchestra Don't Get Around Much Anymore · 1957Billie Holiday Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You · 1957Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You · 1957Sarah Vaughan Honeysuckle Rose · 1957Max Roach Quintet It Don't Mean a Thing · 1957Ella Fitzgerald Lush Life · 1957Nina Simone Mood Indigo · 1957Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington Perdido · 1957Sonny Rollins Solitude · 1957Duke Ellington Solitude · 1957Clifford Jordan Sophisticated Lady · 1957Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington Take the "A" Train · 1957Frank Wess, John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette Things Ain't What They Used to Be · 1957The Red Garland Quintet with John Coltrane Undecided · 1957Jackie McLean Quartet What's New? · 1957Zoot Sims-Bob Brookmeyer Octet Ain't Misbehavin' · 1958Mose Allison Trio Don't Get Around Much Anymore · 1958Cannonball Adderley Sextet with Bill Russo Orchestra I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) · 1958Sonny Rollins I've Found a New Baby · 1958John Coltrane Lush Life · 1958The Dave Brubeck Quartet Things Ain't What They Used to Be · 1958Duke Ellington C Jam Blues · 1959The Red Garland Trio Perdido · 1959Wes Montgomery and the Eddie Higgins Trio Prelude to a Kiss · 1959Charles Mingus and His Jazz Groups Things Ain't What They Used to Be · 1959
  5. 1960s

    Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington meet in the studio only once, in 1961, and record an all-Ellington program that includes Mood Indigo, C Jam Blues and It Don't Mean a Thing. In 1962 Ellington plays Solitude and Caravan with Charles Mingus and Max Roach, and records In a Sentimental Mood with John Coltrane. Art Blakey, Kenny Burrell and Red Garland lead small groups, and Ella Fitzgerald sings with Count Basie in 1963.

    Tommy Flanagan Trio In a Sentimental Mood · 1960Gene Ammons Stompin' at the Savoy · 1960Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington C Jam Blues · 1961Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington Don't Get Around Much Anymore · 1961Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You · 1961Red Garland Trio I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) · 1961Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington It Don't Mean a Thing · 1961Billy Strayhorn Lush Life · 1961
    30 more
    Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington Mood Indigo · 1961Coleman Hawkins Moonglow · 1961Sarah Vaughan Sophisticated Lady · 1961Zoot Sims Quartet Stompin' at the Savoy · 1961The Red Garland Trio What's New? · 1961Oscar Peterson Trio C Jam Blues · 1962Duke Ellington with Charles Mingus and Max Roach Caravan · 1962Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Caravan · 1962Duke Ellington & John Coltrane In a Sentimental Mood · 1962Larry Young I've Found a New Baby · 1962Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins Mood Indigo · 1962Sarah Vaughan Moonglow · 1962Johnny Hodges Prelude to a Kiss · 1962Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach Solitude · 1962The Oscar Peterson Trio Things Ain't What They Used to Be · 1962John Coltrane Quartet What's New? · 1962Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie Ain't Misbehavin' · 1963Kenny Burrell Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You · 1963Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie Honeysuckle Rose · 1963John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman Lush Life · 1963Charles Mingus Mood Indigo · 1963The Art Farmer Quartet featuring Jim Hall What's New? · 1963Wes Montgomery with the Johnny Pate Orchestra Caravan · 1964Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington C Jam Blues · 1965Jimmy Smith C Jam Blues · 1965Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington It Don't Mean a Thing · 1966The Dave Brubeck Quartet Take the "A" Train · 1967George Benson What's New? · 1968Nancy Wilson Prelude to a Kiss · 1969Ella Fitzgerald Things Ain't What They Used to Be · 1969
  6. 1970s

    Guitarists and long live tracks mark the decade. Joe Pass plays Lush Life alone, Perdido with Herb Ellis, and Solitude and Sophisticated Lady shortly after Ellington's death. Kenny Burrell stretches I Got It Bad to nearly ten minutes, Charles Mingus plays C Jam Blues for about 24, and Archie Shepp's trio plays Solitude live in Nuremberg in 1976.

    Ben Webster - Dexter Gordon Quintet Perdido · 1972Jim Hall and Ron Carter Prelude to a Kiss · 1972Joe Pass Lush Life · 1973Herb Ellis and Joe Pass Perdido · 1973Charles Mingus C Jam Blues · 1974Dave Brubeck and Lee Konitz Don't Get Around Much Anymore · 1974Zoot Sims, Bucky Pizzarelli, Milt Hinton and Buddy Rich Honeysuckle Rose · 1974Kenny Burrell I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) · 1974
    7 more
    Joe Pass Solitude · 1974Joe Pass Sophisticated Lady · 1974Kenny Burrell It Don't Mean a Thing · 1975Milt Jackson, Joe Pass and Ray Brown Moonglow · 1975Zoot Sims with Bill Holman Orchestra I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) · 1976Archie Shepp Trio Solitude · 1976McCoy Tyner Lush Life · 1977
  7. 1980s

    Wynton Marsalis records Caravan and Cherokee with his quartet on Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1 in 1986. Milt Jackson and Joe Pass lead a quartet through Take the A Train in 1980, and Emily Remler plays In a Sentimental Mood in 1981. Harry Connick Jr. sings Don't Get Around Much Anymore on a film soundtrack in 1989, and Linda Ronstadt sings Lush Life and What's New with Nelson Riddle's orchestra.

    Milt Jackson Quartet Take the "A" Train · 1980Emily Remler In a Sentimental Mood · 1981Wynton Marsalis Caravan · 1986Wynton Marsalis Cherokee · 1986Harry Connick Jr. Don't Get Around Much Anymore · 1989
  8. 1990s

    Joe Henderson plays Lush Life and Take the A Train on a 1991 album of Billy Strayhorn's music, and Lush Life wins a 1992 Grammy. Keith Jarrett's trio plays Things Ain't What They Used to Be at Town Hall in 1990, Elvin Jones names an album after It Don't Mean a Thing, and Diana Krall's trio records Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You. Tony Bennett and k.d. lang sing Moonglow on MTV Unplugged in 1994.

    Keith Jarrett Trio Things Ain't What They Used to Be · 1990Joe Henderson Lush Life · 1991Joe Henderson Take the "A" Train · 1991Elvin Jones It Don't Mean a Thing · 1993Tony Bennett with k.d. lang Moonglow · 1994Diana Krall Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You · 1995
  9. 2000s

    McCoy Tyner plays Ain't Misbehavin' alone at the piano in 2000, the same setting as Fats Waller's 1929 record. Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra record It Don't Mean a Thing in 2002, Sonny Rollins plays In a Sentimental Mood live in London in 2007, 54 years after his studio take, and Kurt Elling sings Lush Life at Lincoln Center in 2009.

    McCoy Tyner Ain't Misbehavin' · 2000Sonny Rollins In a Sentimental Mood · 2007
  10. 2010s

    John Pizzarelli plays C Jam Blues in 2010 with violin and tenor saxophone, as in Ellington's 1942 band. Kamasi Washington arranges Cherokee for his triple album The Epic, recorded in 2011 with electric bass, keyboards and a vocalist. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga sing It Don't Mean a Thing in 2014, and Joey Alexander and Chris Potter play In a Sentimental Mood as a piano and bass clarinet duo.

    John Pizzarelli C Jam Blues · 2010Kamasi Washington Cherokee · 2011
  11. 2020s

    Jim Campilongo and Luca Benedetti play Mood Indigo as a duet for two guitars in 2020. Saxophonist Julieta Eugenio plays Sophisticated Lady with a bass and drums trio in 2024, and in 2026 Cécile McLorin Salvant sings it with the Metropole Orkest.

The tunes