GEE BABY, AIN´T I GOOD TO YOU

Music: Don Redman- Lyrics: Andy Razaf

Year: 1929

 

Origin of the song

Don Redman had many different talents: arranger, saxophonist, singer, orchestra conductor, etc. In the mid-20s, he was responsible for the rhythmic style of Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra. In 1927, he became music director of the band McKinney’s Cotton Pickers and, in a little time, he led it to become one of the most popular ones in the US, competing with Henderson’s and Ellington’s orchestras.

In those years, he wrote and recorded his three most known songs: ‘Cherry’ (July 12, 1928), ‘Save it Pretty Mama’ (April 8, 1929), and ‘Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You’ (November 5, 1929). In 1931, he left the group and formed his own orchestra.

Other well-known Redman’s compositions are ‘Shakin’ the African’ (1930) and ‘Hot and Anxious’ (1931). For his part, Andy Razaf wrote the lyrics of ‘12th Street Rag’ (1914), ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ (1929), ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ (1929), ‘Memories of You’ (1930), ‘Keepin' Out of Mischief Now’ (1932), ‘Stompin' at the Savoy’ (1934), and ‘In the Mood’ (1939).


Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSTION REACHED

 

King Cole Trio

1943.11.30

1944.10.21

2

15

Nat Cole (p, voc), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

 

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Stanley Turrentine & The Three Sounds

1960.12.16

Stanley Turrentine (ts), Gene Harris (p), Andrew Simpkins (b), Bill Dowdy (d)

Art Blakey Jazz Messengers

1961.06.14

Lee Morgan (tp), Wayne Shorter (ts), Bobby Timmons (p), Jymie Merritt (b), Art Blakey (d)

Kenny Burrell Trio

1963.01.08

Kenny Burrell (g), Major Holley Jr. (b), Bill English (d)

Dizzy Gillespie Quintet

1964.07.05

Dizzy Gillespie (tp), James Moody (ts), Kenny Barron (p), Chris White (b), Rudy Collins (d)

In Jazz Festival of Newport

Bill Mays & Ed Bickert

1994.03.07

Bill Mays (p), Ed Bickert (g)

 

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

McKinney’s Cotton Pickers

1929.11.05

Don Redman (dir, as, cl, voc), Leonard Davis, Sidney De Paris, Joe Smith (tp), Claude Jones (tb), Benny Carter (as), Coleman Hawkins, Theodore McCord (ts, cl), Leroy Tibbs (p), Kaiser Marshall (d)

Chu Berry Jazz Ensemble

1941.08.28

Chu Berry (ts), Hot Lips Page (tp, voc), Clyde Hart (p), Al Casey (g), Al Morgan (b), Harry Jaeger (d)

King Cole Trio

1943.11.30

Nat Cole (p, voc), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Count Basie Orchestra

1944.05.27

Count Basie (p, dir), Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Al Killian, Ed Lewis, Joe Newman (tp), Ted Donnelly, Eli Robinson, Louis Taylor, Dicky Wells (tb), Elman Rutherford (cl, bars), Jimmy Powell, Earle Warren (as), Buddy Tate, Lester Young (ts), Freddy Green (g), Rodney Richardson (b), Jo Jones (d), Jimmy Rushing (voc)

Billie Holiday

1946.06.03

Billie Holiday (voc), Buck Clayton (tp), George Auld (as), Illinois Jacquet, Lester Young (ts), Ken Kersey (p), Tiny Grimes (g), Al McKibbon (b), J.C. Heard (d)

Buck Clayton Orchestra

1955.08.??

Buck Clayton (tp, dir), Emmett Bery (tp), Dickie Wells (tb), Budd Johnson (ts), Sir Charles Thompson (p), Steve Jordan (g), Milt Hinton (b), Jo Jones (d), Jimmy Rushing (voc)

Billie Holiday

1957.01.09

Billie Holiday (voc), Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Ben Webster (ts), Jimmy Rowles (p), Barney Kessel (g), Red Mitchell (b), Larry Bunker (d)

Julie London

1960.??.??

Julie London (voc), Jimmy Rowles Orchestra

Joe Williams

1966.09.30

Joe Williams (voc), Thad Jones (fis, dir), Snooky Young, Jimmy Nottingham, Bill Berry, Richard Williams (tp), Bob Brookmeyer, Garnett Brown, Tom McIntosh, Clif Heather (tb), Pepper Adams, Eddie Daniels, Jerry Dodgion, Joe Farrell, Jerome Richardson (sax), Roland Hanna (p), Sam Herman (g), Richard Davis (b), Mel Lewis (d)

Shirley Horn Trio

1981.07.12

Shirley Horn (p, voc), Charles Ables (b), Billy Hart (d)

Cassandra Wilson

1988.02.??

Cassandra Wilson (voc), Mulgrew Miller (p), Lonnie Plaxico (b), Terri Lyne Carrington (d)

John Pizzarelli

1990.02.07

John Pizzarelli (voc, g), Clark Terry (tp), Dave McKenna (p), Bucky Pizzarelli (g), Milt Hinton (b), Connie Kay (d)

Diana Krall

1995.10.03

Diana Krall (p, voc), Russell Malone (g), Paul Keller (b)

 

On cinemas

 The song 'Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You' 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 Mask

La máscara

1994

Susan Boyd

Georgia

Georgia

1995

 

Kissing Jessica Stein

Besando a Jessica Stein

2001

Matt Rollings with Lyle Lovett

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