I CAN´T GET STARTED

Music: Vernon Duke- Lyrics: Ira Gershwin

Year: 1936

 

I Cant get started-standards jazz-clasicos del jazz

Origin of the song

The musical Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 was released on 30 January 1936 in the Winter Garden Theatre of New York. The libretto was David Freeman’s, the music by Vernon Duke, and the lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was choreographed by George Balanchine and Vincente Minnelli designed the stage scenery and the costumes. The main artists were Fanny Brice, Bob Hope, Eve Arden, Josephine Baker, Judy Canova, Gertrude Niesen, June Preisser, and The Nicholas Brothers. The play had a hundred and fifteen performances. In the second act, Bob Hope sang ‘I Can’t Get Started’ to Eve Arden.

The show was marked by three facts: it was the last Fanny Brice’s performance on theatres, the debut of George Balanchine as choreographer in Broadway, and, despite its title, Florenz Ziegfeld had died three years before.

Other notable Vernon Duke’s compositions are ‘April In Paris’ (1932), ‘Autumn In New York’ (1934), ‘An Island In The West Indies’ (1936), ‘Taking A Chance On Love’ (1940), and ‘Cabin In The Sky’ (1940).

For his part, Ira Gershwin was the author of ‘Fascinatin’ Rhythm’ (1924), ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ (1926) ‘´S Wonderful’ (1927), ‘But Not for Me’ (1930), ‘Embraceable You’ (1930), ‘I Got Rhythm’ (1930), ‘Summertime’ (1935), ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me’ (1937), ‘Long Ago and Far Away’ (1944), and ‘The Man That Got Away’ (1954), among many other songs.


Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF THE RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

 

Hal Kemp Orchestra

1936.01.18

1936.02.22

2

14

Skinnay Ennis (voc)

Bunny Berigan Orchestra

1937.08.07

1938.01.29

3

10

Bunny Berigan (tp, voc)

 

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Lester Young Trio

1942.07.15

Lester Young (ts), Nat Cole (p), Red Callender (b)

Benny Carter Orchestra

1944.05.02

Benny Carter (as, dir), John Carroll, Karl George, Edwin Davis, Milton Fletcher (tp), Alton Moore, J.J. Johnson, Shorty Haughton, Bart Varsalona (tb), Porter Kilbert (as), Willard Brown (as, bars), Eugene Porter, Bumps Myers (ts), Gerald Wiggings (p), W.J. Edwards (g), Charles Drayton (b), Max Roach (d)

Roy Eldridge Orchestra

1944.06.06

Roy Eldridge (tp, dir), Gus Aiken, John Hamilton, Robert Mason, Clarence Wheeler (tp), Ted Kelly, Andrew Williams, George Wilson (tb), Joe Eldridge, Sam Lee (as), Franz Jackson, Hal Sinder (ts), Tony D'Amore (p), Dave McRae (b), Sam Allen (g), Carl Wilson (b), Les Erkine (d)

Dizzy Gillespie Sextet

1945.01.09

Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Trummy Young (tb), Don Byas (ts), Clyde Hart (p), Oscar Pettiford (b), Irv Kluger (d)

Erroll Garner

1945.12.05

Erroll Garner (p)

Lennie Tristano Trio

1946.10.08

Lennie Tristano (p), Billy Bauer (g), Clyde Lombardi (b)

Charlie Parker with Joe Lippman Orchestra

1952.03.25

Charlie Parker (as), Jimmy Maxwell, Carl Pool, Al Porcino, Bernie Privin (tp), Bill Harris, Lou McGarity, Bart Varsalona (tb), Harry Terrill, Murray Williams (as), Flip Phillips, Hank Ross (ts), Danny Bank (bars), Oscar Peterson (p), Freddie Green (g), Ray Brown (b), Don Lamond (d), Joe Lippman (dir)

Lester Young with Oscar Peterson Trio

1952.08.04

Lester Young (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard (d)

Paul Bley Trio

1953.11.30

Paul Bley (p), Charles Mingus (b), Art Blakey (d)

Artie Shaw Gramercy Five

1954.02.??

Artie Shaw (cl), Hank Jones (p), Tal Farlow (g), Tommy Potter (b), Joe Roland (vib),

Irv Klugar (d)

Teddy Charles Quartet

1955.01.06

Teddy Charles (vib, p), J.R. Monterose (ts), Charles Mingus (b), Jerry Segal (d)

Chet Baker Quartet

1956.07.31

Chet Baker (tp), Bobby Timmons (p), Jimmy Bond (b), Peter Littman (d)

Charles Mingus Trio

1957.07.09

Sonny Clark (p), Charles Mingus (b), Dannie Richmond (d)

Sonny Rollins Trio

1957.11.03

Sonny Rollins (ts), Wilbur Ware (b), Elvin Jones (d)

Kenny Dorham Quintet

1963.01.15

Kenny Dorham (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), Ronnie Matthews (p), Steve Davis (b),

J.C. Moses (d)

Jackie McLean- Dexter Gordon Quintet

1973.07.20

Jackie McLean (as), Dexter Gordon (ts), Kenny Drew (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted

Pedersen (b), Alex Riel (d)

Mary Lou Williams

1975.11.??

Mary Lou Williams (p), Brian Torff (b)

Jim Hall Trio

1981.03.??

Jim Hall (g), Don Thomson (p, b), Terry Clarke (d)

George Shearing

1986.10.??

George Shearing (p)

Stan Getz Quartet

1987.07.06

Stan Getz (ts), Kenny Barron (p), Rufus Reid (b), Victor Lewis (d)

 

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Bunny Berigan Orchestra

1937.08.07

Bunny Berigan (tp, voc, dir), Irving Goodman, Steve Lipkins (tp), Al George, Sonny Lee (tb), Mike Doty, Joe Dixon (cl, as), Clyde Rounds, George Auld (ts), Joe Lippman (p), Tom Morgan (g), Hank Wayland (b), George Wettling (d)

Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra

1938.09.15

Billie Holiday (voc), Buck Clayton (tp), Dickie Wells (tb), Lester Young (cl), Margaret Johnson (p), Freddy Green (g), Walter Page (b), Jo Jones (d)

Carmen McRae

1955.06.14

Carmen McRae (voc), Dick Katz (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Wendell Marshall (b), Kenny Clarke (d)

Anita O’Day

1955.12.07

Anita O'Day (voc), Paul Smith (p), Barney Kessel (g), Joe Mondragon (b), Alvin Stoller (d), Corky Hale (arp), string section, Buddy Bregman (dir)

Keely Smith

1958.10.??

Keely Smith (voc), Billy May Orchestra

Ella Fitzgerald

1961.11.13

Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Ronnie Lang (as), Nelson Riddle Orchestra

Shirley Horn

1990.??.??

Shirley Horn (voc), Wynton Marsalis (tp), Wycliffe Gordon (tb), Alvin Batiste (cl), Todd Williams (cl, ss, ts), Wessell Anderson (as), Herb Harris (ts), Joe Temperley (bars), Marcus Roberts (p), Reginald Veal (b), Herlin Riley (d)

 

On cinemas

 The song 'I Can't Get Started' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:


ORIGINAL TITLE

TITLE IN SPAIN

YEAR OF PRODUCTION

PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM

Save The Tiger

Salvad al tigre

1973

Bunny Berigan Orchestra

Chinatown

Chinatown

1974

 

Avalon

Avalon

1990

 

Tune in Tomorrow…

Realidad y ficción

1990

Wynton Marsalis & His Band

RKO 281

RKO 281

1999

Bunny Berigan Orchestra

Anything Else

Todo lo demás

2003

Lester Young & Oscar Peterson Trio

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Vengadores: La era de Ultrón

2015

The BBC Big Band Orchestra

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