"It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills in 1932. The song was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra in 1933 and has since been covered by many artists in various genres.
The lyrics of the song express the idea that the swing rhythm is essential to jazz music, and that without it, the music has no meaning or value. The phrase "It don't mean a thing" is used to convey that the music is not truly jazz without the swing. The song is considered as one of the early examples of scat singing, a vocal technique where the singer improvises using nonsensical syllables.
The song's popularity soared in the 1930s and 1940s, and it was performed by many jazz musicians of the time, including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. In the decades that followed, it has been covered by a wide range of artists, from jazz pianist Oscar Peterson to pop singer Michael Buble.
The song's enduring popularity can be attributed to its catchy melody and upbeat tempo, as well as the relatable message of the lyrics. It has become a staple of the jazz canon, and its influence can be heard in many other jazz standards.
The song's message is also a celebration of the music's African-American roots, which often went unrecognized during the time it was written. It is also considered as one of the first compositions to feature the word "swing" in its title, which helped to popularize the term and cement its place in the jazz lexicon.
More backing tracks 👉🏼 ACME Play-A-Longs: [ Ссылка ]
FOOTPRINTS: [ Ссылка ]
LUSH LIFE: [ Ссылка ]
TENOR MADNESS: [ Ссылка ]
SUGAR: [ Ссылка ]
MY LITTLE SUEDE SHOES: [ Ссылка ]
CORCOVADO: [ Ссылка ]
Jazz nomenclature is complicated and ACME chords symbols are simplified.
• CΔ is a major sound and could refer to a “C6” or “Cmaj7”
• D- is usually voiced as a minor-seventh (1,♭3, 5, ♭7)
• Ø is a half-diminished seventh chord (1,♭3,♭5,♭7)
• O is a full diminished seventh chord (1,♭3,♭5,♭♭7)
• +4 is voiced as #11
• +9 is an “altered 9” and could refer to a♭9, ♯9, or both
