THE EARL: Benny Goodman/Mel Powell - a compilation

Mel Powell was enamored of the innovative jazz pianist Earl Hines and wrote an original composition in honor of him in 1941, at the tender age of 18.

Benny Goodman recorded The Earl on September 25th and chose to issue a version recorded without drums. Big Sid Catlett was at the end of his stormy tenure in the Goodman band, and it seems that Goodman wanted to show that his band could swing perfectly without him. He brought in Jo Jones from the Basie band, tried a few takes of The Earl, and then jettisoned Jones. As mentioned above, the original 78 recording was absent drums altogether.

What you will hear now is one of the rare takes with Jones, with broadcast versions with Catlett (from September and October 1941) inserted in the middle.

Hines recorded his own version of this eponymous tribute on November 17th.

Видео THE EARL: Benny Goodman/Mel Powell - a compilation канала Loren Schoenberg