In preparing for the Veterans Day edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion, I wanted to air one of the most popular songs of the WW II period to salute our veterans: “The St. Louis Blues March.” But I also wanted to make sure you heard what the original version of the “St. Louis Blues”sounded like. So we aired a 1922 version, with W. C. Handy himself playing the cornet. Today, we are going to air a version of the same arrangement made with modern recording equipment and contemporary musicians by the W. C. Handy Beale Street Reenactment Band of Memphis. And yes, the 1922 arrangement uses a tango rhythm. Handy used the tango rhythm in hopes of making his recording more successful. And to demonsrate that the “St. Louis Blues” is truly one of the most recorded tunes, we are also going to hear Pete Fountain’s version of the same composition.
- St. Louis Blues
Composer: W. C. Handy (1873-1958)
Performer: Handy's Beale St. Reenactment Band
Album: W. C. Handy's Beale Street
- St. Louis Blues
Composer: W. C. Handy
Performer: Pete Fountain (1930-2016)
Album: Best of Pete Fountain
- That's a Plenty (1927 recording)
Composer: Lew Pollack (1895-1946)
Performer: New Orleans Owls
Album: New Orleans: Great Original Performances 1918-1934
- Otchi-tchor-ni-ya (Dark Eyes)
Composer: Florian Hermann (music, 1822-1892) & Yevhen Hrebinka (lyrics, 1812-1848)
Performer: Louis Armstrong & the All Stars
Album: Sound Track from "Glenn Miller Story"
- March of the Two Left Feet
Composer: Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)
Performer: Keystone Wind Ensemble
Album: Leroy Anderson: Phantom Regiment and Other Tales
- Bluebells of Scotland
Composer: Leroy Anderson
Performer: Keystone Wind Ensemble
Album: Leroy Anderson: Phantom Regiment and Other Tales
- Suite for Concert Band: Molto Largo, Allegro
Composer: Bob Vos (1910-1963)
Performer: Portuguese Symphonic Band
Album: Hamlet
- Suite for Concert Band: Allegro con moto, Scherzando
Composer: Bob Vos
Performer: Portuguese Symphonic Band
Album: Hamlet
- Suite for Concert Band: Lento
Composer: Bob Vos
Performer: Portuguese Symphonic Band
Album: Hamlet
- Suite for Concert Band: Allegro Energico
Composer: Bob Vos
Performer: Portuguese Symphonic Band
Album: Hamlet
- Overture from "Orlando Paladino" a.k.a. "Der Ritter Roland"
Composer: Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Performer: Consortium Classicum
Album: Joseph Haydn: Arrangements for Harmonie
- Finale from "Orlando Paladino" a.k.a. "Der Ritter Roland"
Composer: Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Performer: Consortium Classicum
Album: Joseph Haydn: Arrangements for Harmonie
- Whipped Cream (1965 hit)
Composer: Allen Toussaint (1938-2015) a.k.a. Naomi Neville
Performer: Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass
Album: Herb Albert Definitive Hits
- Chimes of Liberty
Composer: Edwin Franko Goldman (1878-1956)
Performer: U.S. Navy Band
Album: Three Hit Albums from the U.S. Military Bands
