Category Archives: Big Band-Swing

Big Band Standards and Swing Music from 1940’s – 1950’s

Love On A Greyhound Bus

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Love On A Greyhound Bus. Another oldie from 1945. I thought I would start the New Year with an imaginary trip since Covid has stopped so much travel. Another cute song from 1945presented as a Musical Memory – Songs I remember hearing and playing when I grew up in the 1940’s and 1950’s. I often played out of the two old Black Fake Books my Mom bought. I thought I would share some of those wonderful songs of the past. Beautiful songs with rich chords, melodies, rhythms and wonderful words. How so many wonderful songs have been born from those 7 white keys and 5 black keys is a true miracle of music to me. The number of song choices is in the thousands. I hope you enjoy the little bit of the past I share with you. The words & music by Ralph Blane, Kay Thompson, & George Stoll. Recorded by Vaughn Monroe in 1945.… Read the rest

The Happy Organ

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The Happy Organ. The sun is shining, it’s 53 degrees – time to rock it. I love playing this piece. I never play it the same way twice! You just get rolling and have fun – mistakes and all. The Roland organ does a great job for this piece. I hope it brings a smile to your face or at least gets your foot tapping. “The Happy Organ” is the name of an instrumental composition made famous by Dave “Baby” Cortez in 1959. Cortez co-composed it with noted celebrity photographer James J. Kriegsmann and frequent collaborator Kurt Wood. A significant portion of the tune bears a strong resemblance to the traditional “Shortnin’ Bread” tune.… Read the rest

Jingle Bell Rock

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Jingle Bell Rock. Always a favorite of mine, much fun to play. Can remember playing it way back in the ’80s. Don’t think I ever saw an audience that did not clap, sing and/or dance. You just can’t sit still for this one. I hope you enjoy my little video. I did it for fun and not perfection. Perfection is getting pretty far out of my reach these days! “Jingle Bell Rock” is an American popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957 and was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe.… Read the rest

Dream Lover

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Dream Lover. I was rocking it out this morning. Celebrating two good eyes via catarct surgery and having all 3 possible exposures to Covid be negative! The surgery center called me the next day to say they had an asymtomatic Covid Patient that did not know it the day of surgery. Suggested I stay home for awhile. They actually heavily taped our masks on. I still have scabs from pulling the tape off – but boy am I glad they did that. Then my friend that gave me a ride home found her sister that lives with her had become very sick. Went for Covid test. Then my neighbor that gave me a ride to go back and pick up my car had is son exposed in school. We both wore masks. Everyone turned out negative! I am very blessed!!! So I was rocking it out this morning in a very happy mood. Good eyes, good music and no Covid. I did the song in the Enoch Light version where the band did swing it in 1964. But “Dream Lover” is a 1959 song written by Bobby Darin. Darin recorded his composition on March 5, 1959.… Read the rest

A Lover’s Concerto

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A Lover’s Concerto. Just playing songs and listening to the wonderful sounds of the Roland. Got stuck on A Lover’s Concerto. Such a pretty piece. I decided to make a video where I could spend a few minutes away from the world using the pretty Roland sounds. Sorta a spur of the moment video. “A Lover’s Concerto” is a pop song written by American songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, and recorded in 1965 by the Toys.… Read the rest

Midnight in Moscow

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Midnight in Moscow. I remember hearing this played in the old days. I always liked it and had it on my pile of music to play for quite awhile. I went to You Tube to hear it and all I found were big serious, Russian versions. Then – I found the 1961 version. That’s the way I wanted to play it. Did not need to be serious. Had fun with all the sounds and graphics which were free. Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen played Midnight In Moscow in 1961. Midnight in Moscow, also known as Moscow Nights (Подмосковные вечера), is a Russian song, and one of those best known outside its homeland. Created as “Leningradskie Vechera” (“Leningrad Nights”) by composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhail Matusovsky in 1955 (when both had well-established careers), but at the request of the Soviet Ministry of Culture, the version… Read the rest

Satin Doll

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Satin Doll. Just a slow dance from September to October. We always played this for dancing. Another of my favorites. So much good music in this world. It is just a simple rendition since the whole band wasn’t here with me! “Satin Doll” is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Written in 1953 and its chord progression is well known for its unusual use of chords and opening with a ii-V-I turnaround.… Read the rest

Swinging on a Star

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Swinging on a Star Cover by Pat Walter. Playing through some of my music books and came across this. I always liked it when I was younger. Decided I like it when I’m older. The USB drive did a couple strange things, but I just kept playing! Pretended I was on a job! A fun song to play, sing and create a video with. Thanks to Pixabay for the cute free graphics. “Swinging on a Star” is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.… Read the rest

Time In A Bottle

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Time in a Bottle cover by Pat Walter. I have been playing this for a few weeks. Always thought it was a beautiful song. I just couldn’t fine the sounds I wanted on the Roland and spent time today programming a new user set of, what I think are, beautiful orchestral sounds. The audio was straight from the USB drive on the Roland FR 4X. I didn’t show a full video of me playing the whole time. I felt the music and visual experience was more important than looking at me. I think this is the most beautiful video I have done. Thank You to Pixabay for the free graphics. I reall enjoyed making this video. I hope you enjoy it too.… Read the rest

The Glow-Worm

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So many old songs, so little time. For some reason “Glow Little Glow-worm” popped into my head the other day. Go figure – who knows why. So I looked up the music. I can remember I actually had the sheet music for it in my younger years. “Das Glühwürmchen”, known in English as “The Glow-Worm”, is a song from Paul Lincke’s 1902 operetta Lysistrata, with German lyrics by Heinz Bolten-Backers. It was originally translated into English by Lilla Cayley Robinson, in the early 20th century, and was used in the 1907 Broadway musical The Girl Behind The Counter.… Read the rest

When I Take My Sugar to Tea

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When I Take My Sugar to Tea cover by Pat Walter. An old song from 1931 was used in the Marx Brothers movie, Monkey Business and co-written with Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal. It is a really fun song to play. I used the Bari Sax for the low parts. Thought it was a neat sound on my Roland FR 4X.

… Read the rest

Chanson D’Amour

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“Chanson D’Amour” was composed in 1958 by Wayne Shanklin, performed by Art and Dotty Todd. A really fun song to sing, play or dance to. I was in the mood to play and recorded on my USB drive on my accordion. I liked it and decided to use it and not do a live video. I enjoy recording music when I don’t have to look at the camera and can concentrate on the music! LOL I hope you enjoy this old song. Thank You to Pixabay for the great free photos and graphics.… Read the rest