BYE BYE BLACKBIRD

Music: Ray Henderson- Lyrics: Mort Dixon

Year: 1926

 

Origin of the song

The compositor Ray Henderson and the songwriter Mort Dixon were associates from 1923 until 1927. ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ was their most popular song, although their first collaboration, ‘That Old Gang of Mine’ (1923) had a notable success too.

Bennie Kruger’s orchestra and the singers Nick Lucas and Gene Austin were the first musicians to record ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’, with a difference of two days between them. Austin’s version was top of the charts, where it remained for three weeks.

‘Annabelle’ (1923), ‘Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue’ (1925), ‘I'm Sitting on Top of the World’ (1925), ‘The Birth of the Blues’ (1926), ‘The Varsity Drag’ (1927), ‘You're The Cream In My Coffee’ (1928), ‘Button Up Your Overcoat’ (1929), ‘You Are My Lucky Star’ (1929), ‘I'm A Dreamer, Aren't We All’ (1929), ‘Keep Your Sunny Side Up’ (1929), ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ (1931), and ‘Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries’ (1931) are a sign of Ray Henderson’s talent as a musician. For his part, Dixon is the author of the lyrics of ‘Nagasaki’ (1928) and ’You’re My Everything’ (1931).


Versions in the top charts

IPERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

 

Bennie Kruger Orchestra

1926.04.21

1926.09.04

2

7

Unidentified (voc)

Nick Lucas

1926.04.23

1926.08.14

4

4

Nick Lucas (g, voc), unidentified (p)

Gene Austin

1926.04.29

1926.07.31

12

1

(three weeks)

Gene Austin (voc), Dave Franklin (p), unidentified (vn)

Leo Reisman Orchestra

1926.05.09

1926.09.25

1

11

Instrumental

Russ Morgan Orchestra

1947.12.27

1948.02.28

2

20

Ed, Gene, Joe & Vic Ames (voc), Milt Herth Trio

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Miles Davis Quintet

1956.06.05

Miles Davis (tp), John Coltrane (ts), Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b), Philly Joe Jones (d)

Jimmy Smith Trio

1957.08.25

Jimmy Smith (org), Kenny Burrell (g), Donald Bailey (d)

Ben Webster- Oscar Peterson Trio

1959.11.06

Ben Webster (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Ed Thigpen (d)

Miles Davis Quintet

1961.04.21

Miles Davis (tp), Hank Mobley (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b), Jimmy Cobb (d)

Oscar Peterson

1968.04.??

Oscar Peterson (p)

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

1975.05.14

Roland Kirk (ts, fl, tp), Pat Patrick (bars), Arthur Jenkins, Hilton Ruiz, Richard Tee (tec), Cornell Dupree, Hugh McCracken, Keith Loving (g), Francisco Centeno, Metathias Pearson, Bill Salter (b), John Goldsmith, Sonny Brown, Steve Gadd (d), Lawrence Killian (cng), Ralph MacDonald (cng, per)

Milt Jackson Quintet

1976.03.22

Teddy Edwards (ts), Milt Jackson (vib), Cedar Walton (p), Ray Brown (b), Billy Higgins (d)

Roy Eldridge 4

1977.07.13

Roy Eldridge (tp), Oscar Peterson (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Bobby Durham (d)

Keith Jarrett Trio

1991.10.12

Keith Jarrett (p), Gary Peacock (b), Jack DeJohnette (d)

Benny Golson Sextet

1992.10.05

Eddie Henderson (tp), Curtis Fuller (tb), Benny Golson (ts), Mulgrew Miller (p), Ray Drummond (b), Tony Reedus (d)

Kenny Garrett Quintet

1992.??.??

Kenny Garrett (as), Joe Henderson (ts), Kenny Kirkland (p), Charnett Moffett (b), Brian

Blade (d)

Jacky Terrasson Trio

1994.06.??

Jacky Terrasson (p), Ugonna Okegwo (b), Leon Parker (d)

Ray Brown Trio

1996.10.17

Ray Brown (b), Benny Green (p), Gregory Hutchinson (d)

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Peggy Lee

1955.05.10

Peggy Lee (voc), Dick Cathcart (tp), Eddie Miller (ts), Matty Matlock (cl), Dick McDonough (g), Nick Fatool (d)

Julie London

1957.??.??

Julie London (voc), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Leatherwood (b), Jimmy Rowles Orchestra

Helen Merrill

1957.12.18

Helen Merrill (voc), Mike Simpson (fl, cl, ts), Dick Marx (p), Freddy Rundquist (g), John Frigo (b), Jerry Slosberg (d)

Carmen McRae

1958.08.04

Carmen McRae (voc), Irving Markowitz (tp), Ben Webster (ts), Fred Kelin, Don Corrado, Dick Berg, Tony Miranda (tpa), Don Abney (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Aaron Bell (b), Ted Sommer (d)

Bill Henderson

1959.10.26

Bill Henderson (voc), Ramsey Lewis (p), Eldee Young (b), Red Holt (d)

Etta Jones

1960.06.21

Etta Jones (voc), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Richard Wyands (p), Skeeter Best (g), George Duvivier (b), Roy Haynes (d)

Mel Tormé

1977.06.??

Mel Tormé (voc), Chris Gunning Orchestra

Patricia Barber

2000.05.15

Patricia Barber (voc, p), Marc Johnson (b), Adam Nussbaum (d)

On cinemas

 The song 'Bye Bye Blackbird' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

 

ORIGINAL TITLE

TITLE IN SPAIN

YEAR OF PRODUCTION

PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM

The Roaring Twenties

Los violentos años veinte

1939

 

Mr. Skeffington

El señor Skeffington

1944

A orchestra

Street with No Name

La calle sin nombre

1948

 

Thieves Highway

Mercado de ladrones

1949

 

Pete Kelly’s Blues

Los blues de Pete Kelly

1955

Martin Milner, Lee Marvin and others

F.B.I. Story

El F.B.I. contra el imperio del crimen

1959

Background music

Palm Springs Weekend

Buscando millonario

1963

Jerry Van Dyke and Ty Hardin

Lo sbarco di Anzio

La batalla de Anzio

1968

 

Isadora

Isadora

1968

 

What’s the Matter with Helen?

¿Qué le pasa a Helen?

1971

Debbie Reynolds

Class of ’44

Curso del 44

1973

The Smart Set

Julia

Julia

1977

A band

The Cheap Detective

Un detective barato

1978

Background music

Lonely Hearts

Corazones solitarios

1982

Myrtle Roberts and Irene Hewitt; background music

Billy Bathgate

Billy Bathgate

1991

 

River Runs Through It

El río de la vida

1992

 

Sleepless in Seattle

Algo para recordar

1993

Joe Cocker

People I Know

Relaciones confidenciales

2002

Jon Hendricks; Rickie Lee Jones

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Cómo perder a un chico en diez días

2003

 

King Kong

King Kong

2005

Peggy Lee

The History Boys

History Boys

2006

 

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Kit Kittredge: Sueños de periodista

2008

Eddie Graff

Public Enemies

Enemigos públicos

2009

Diana Krall

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