Monday 2 January 2017

Mood Indigo: Four on a theme

Looking for something else indigo-related I came across clips of various versions of Duke Ellington's classic Mood Indigo (to be accurate and to give credit where it's due, it's music by Duke Ellington and Barney Bigard with lyrics by Irving Mills). All different but all worth listening to. Isn't it wonderful how the same notes can be interpreted in so many different ways?

Version 1: from The Boswell Sisters, famous mainly in the 30's and 40's. Great harmonies.
Version 2: from the man himself and his big band.
Version 3: from the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald, with Dizzy Gillespie gazing up at her as if looking at a goddess. Which she was in a wa giy, of course.
Version 4: from Nina Simone, with a pretty amazing piano introduction.
Version 5: from Annie Lennox getting into the mood of the piece, but I'm not sure about some of the backing.

Let's play a game of "which one is my favourite"? Me? It's got to be Ella, followed by the Boswell Sisters. And yours?









No comments: