Cottontail – 1941
Duke Ellington
A fun Soundie from Ellington
Click here to Support Jazz on the Tube
Duke Ellington composed “Cotton Tail” in 1940 and the song immediately became famous due to Ben Webster’s tenor solo and a chorus by the saxophone section (written by Webster).
The flagwaver became a permanent part of Ellington’s repertoire.
In November 1941, it became one of five songs that the Duke Ellington Orchestra was filmed performing in Soundies, three-minute films that often had a little plot or an added attraction.
In this version of “Cottontail,” as Webster begins to play a bit of his famous solo, a group of virtuosic Lindy Hoppers go through their exciting and witty routines while the Ellington band plays the full arrangement.
The combination of dance and jazz works very well.
-Scott Yanow
