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