How about Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White by Perez Parado? Anyone else remember that one from Your Hit Parade? (Although, of course, Your Hit Parade did not include the original by Perez Parado. They had their own in-house orchestra. Bonus points if you can name the bandleader.)
Another vote for “Minnie the Moocher” by Cab Calloway.
Also, “Old Man River” by Paul Robeson and “Ghost Riders in the Sky” by Vaughn Monroe.
I immediately thought of Ja-da ja-da jing jing jing, though maybe it’s too old for this thread.
Fever by Peggy Lee
Any version of Cole Porter’s Night and Day.
I love Why Don’t You Do Right with Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee.
Me, I’m partial to Artie Shaw’s take on “Begin the Beguine!”
Skin Deep, Louie Bellson on drums. Here’s the drum solo. The man was ahead of his time.
Almost anything by Bennie Goodman and The Duke. I have to admit to enjoying Glenn Miller’s music and never understood all the post mortem hate for his work. It evokes an era and is worth a listen.
For sheer performance art, there’s nothing like Cab Calloway. Man, that zoot suit rocked.
I’ll tap the 16th century for John Barleycorn.
I love so many of the choices, and there are so many more that come to mind.
But I will offer my current favorite: Pickin’ My Way by Eddie Lang and Carl Kress.
An instrumental by two guitar innovators - Eddie Lang is often called the Father of Jazz Guitar and Kress is a chord-playing monster. Listen to their two guitars weave together is dizzying and the song is great. Enjoy!
My favorite Jazz-era singer is Annette Hanshaw – I can’t pick a favorite song of hers, so have a few!
What Wouldn’t I Do For That Man
Lovable and Sweet
Lover, Come Back to Me
The Way I Feel Today
Cooking Breakfast For the One I Love
Plus so many more. All great songs to sing in the shower! And speaking of which…
The High Hatters’ Singing in the Bathtub
Edit: Found an adorable proto-music video for this song from 1930.
A number of people probably don’t even realize that their favorite song from that era is “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” - it’s the music “Gene Gene the Dancing Machine” danced to on The Gong Show.
My choice too.
I’ve always been a fan of Your Feets Too Big - Fats Waller version.
My absolute favorite is Serenade in Blue. The Sinatra version is from the early sixties, but it was written about twenty years earlier.
I also have a soft spot for Les Brown’s Sentimental Journey with Doris Day on vocals.
You took my song!! It always makes me cry.
It’s not “big band” but my other favorite is Edith Piaf and La Vie En Rose.
I agree it’s hard to beat “Sing Sing Sing.”
But for personal impact on me, it’s “Nancy With the Laughing Face.”
When I was a teenager in the 70’s, “Sinatra” was a synonym for “great singer,” but I sure couldn’t see why, from songs like “Strangers in the Night,” or his appearances on TV variety shows when he was in his 50’s and 60’s. He seemed like more of a showman than a great singer, using a big band to hide the fact that his voice wasn’t great (I have the same opinion of Janet Jackson).
Then I heard accidentally heard “Nancy” on the radio one day. It was from his prime, and practically a capella (at least, compared to his big band songs), and I suddenly understood why he filled arenas. It made me more interested in songs from the 40’s, and that interest has enriched my life.
I came in to say “Christopher Columbus/Sing Sing Sing” — the drum solo opening can’t be beat. But since it’s been called so many times already, I’ll switch to “Kalamazoo,” the long version by Glenn Miller. And Labdad is right, “Marie” is way up there, too.
I’m also a Leon Redbone fan, and have seen him play live. Plus, I was lucky enough to see Cab Calloway in concert twice. Just amazing.
So many…
“Embraceable You” is prolly #1.
“Stella by Starlight” is another.
I don’t know if I can narrow it down to one, and my favorite would change from day to day, but here are a few:
Feeling the Spirit by the Luis Russell Orchestra
Blue Rhythm by the Mills Blue Rhythm Band
Bucktown Stomp by Johnny Dodds’ Washboard Six
Potato Head Blues by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven
Johnny Come Lately by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra