What happens when Hot Jazz meets Western Swing?

The Austin-based Hot Club of Cowtown have to be the most globe-trotting, hardest-swinging Western Swing trio on the planet. They have played stadiums opening for such artists as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson and bring their brand of western swing to a wide range of festival audiences all over the world.

Jimmy McHugh’s Diga Diga Doo is just about the most perfect example of 1920’s Hot Jazz.

On tour Hot Club of Cowtown give a show-stopping performance of the tune.

We’ve unearthed a clip of HCC absolutely knocking Diga Diga Doo ‘out of the park’ on BBC Television's Later with Jools Holland, Wonderfully eclectic music program.

We hope you’ll take a minute to click the link below to hear Jimmy’s iconic hot jazz classic and discover Hot Club of Cowtown.

http://hotclubofcowtown.com/

A Moment of Reflection: 9/11 and The Twin Towers

A couple of days ago we saw something on television that we at Jimmy McHugh Music would like to share with you.

MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell featured a three-minute montage of the many cameo appearances made by the Twin Towers in films directed by such world-class filmmakers as Mike Nichols, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and Sidney Lumet to name but a few.

The short was created by New York filmmaker, Dan Meth, as a unique and fitting tribute to the memory of the thousands of people lost that day.

We hope you’ll take three minutes to view this moving and sadly beautiful tribute.

Twin Tower Cameos from Dan Meth on Vimeo.

thelastword.msnbc.com

R-E-S-P-E-C-T-I-N-G the Past

Before Aretha Franklin signed with Atlantic Records and gained worldwide ‘Respect’ for being a ‘Natural Woman’, she recorded a string of albums for Columbia Records.

Aretha was just 19 when the legendary auteur John Hammond (who ‘discovered’ Billie Holliday and Bob Dylan) began grooming her for stardom.

Many of the period’s best producers, arrangers and conductors came on board to work with Aretha, including Robert Mersey (Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams) and Richard Wess (Bobby Darin).

With a voice that was matured way beyond her years, Hammond decided that the future Queen of Soul record material tailored for an adult audience, so naturally they turned to the Great American Songbook.

It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that at the top of the Aretha’s song list was Jimmy McHugh’s Where Are You.

Click the link below to enjoy the results:

http://theseconddisc.com/2011/04/04/review-aretha-franklin-take-a-look-aretha-franklin-complete-on-columbia/

A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening

Jimmy McHugh & Bobby Darin

One summer night in 1959, at The Hollywood Bowl, Bobby Darin headlined a salute to the music of Jimmy McHugh. It was called I Feel a Song Coming On.

The 21-year old wunderkind had just exploded onto the national scene, winning Record of the Year for his breakthrough hit, Mack The Knife, at the first ever Grammy Awards Ceremony.

Bobby sang I Feel A Song Comin' On, On The Sunny Side Of The Street, Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer, I Won't Dance, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night and Let's Get Lost.

Conductor Buddy Bregman led the mammoth 105 piece orchestra, which included a 55 member string section!

Rounding out the salute to Jimmy’s music was Vic Damone and the gorgeous Italian actress and singer Anna Maria Alberghetti. Among the McHugh songs they performed was Can't Get Out Of This Mood, When You and I Were Young Maggie Blues and When My Sugar Walks Down The Street.

The show ended with Jimmy Bobby, Vic and Anna Marie singing A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening.

Indeed it was.

Click to hear:

Bobby Darin/I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby

SONG SPOTTING: The Cotton Club

Most recently screening on CineMax’s MAX HD channel, this epic crime drama, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is centered around the famed Harlem Jazz Club of the 1920’s, The Cotton Club.

The 1984 film features several Jimmy McHugh songs including Exactly Like You and his iconic ‘hot jazz’ barn-burner, Diga Diga Doo.

Jimmy was the club’s first Musical Director a coveted position which he held during the Club’s most celebrated years. Under his musical direction he discovered Duke Ellington and brought the young, novice songwriter Dorothy Fields to the Club to write songs with him.

Richard Gere, Diane Lane and Gregory Hines head up the cast which includes Nicolas Cage, Bob Hoskins, Laurence Fishburne, Maurice Hines and Gwen Verdon.

The film received several Golden Globe © and Academy Award© nominations.

Try to catch The Cotton Club on the tube- you wont be disappointed!

Click to hear:

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra performing

Jimmy McHugh’s Diga Diga Doo

The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks & Jimmy McHugh

Doo Wop idols, The Duprees, held their own during the British Invasion, scoring a string of hits between 1962-1966 with standards like Jimmy McHugh’s Where Are You.

The Duprees were formed in the streets of New Jersey, just like those other Jersey Boys, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
Every night these five leather-jacketed high school buddies rehearsed on the same street corner, under the same street light and every night they were chased away by the same local beat cop!


Luckily a friend of one of the boys had a cousin who had a friend who knew former big band leader George Paxton, who had just started up a label, Coed Records.
Having written arrangements for Bunny Berigan, Charlie Spivak, Vaughn Monroe and Sammy Kaye, Paxton recognized the potential for recording updated versions of classic American standards.
Guided by Paxton, The Duprees, perfected their signature sound which blended Joey Vann’s lead vocals and classic doo wop harmonies with big band arrangements.

http://youtu.be/zVCg9MxrLL8

http://www.duprees.com/home.html

http://www.globaldogproductions.info/c/coed.html

Amy Winehouse: An Artist of Immense Proportions

All of us at Jimmy McHugh Music are saddened by the death of Amy Winehouse.

Tony Bennett was the last person to work with the singer- having recently recorded a duet together.

When reached for comment, the legendary singer remarked Winehouse was "an artist of immense proportions.”


He continued. “I am deeply saddened to learn of her tragic passing. She was an extraordinary musician with a rare intuition as a vocalist and I am truly devastated that her exceptional talent and has come to such an early end."


We were delighted that the 27-year old vocal phenom had chosen to include Jimmy McHugh’s Moody’s Mood For Love on her 2003 debut album.
We’ll treasure that recording and the memory of the brilliant Amy Winehouse.