OH, LADY BE GOOD!

Music: George Gershwin- Lyrics: Ira Gershwin

Year: 1924

Oh lady be good-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

Walter Catlett sang 'Oh, Lady Be Good!' in the Liberty Theatre of Nueva York on 1 December 1924 during the premiere of the musical Lady, be good!, a show that got to be performed three hundred and thirty times. The reviews were favourable and Fred and Adele Astaire’s performance merited as many congratulations as a Gershwin’s musical score. 'Oh, Lady Be Good!' was one of the twelve songs of the musical, among which we also found other well-known songs such as 'So Am I', 'Little Jazz Bird', 'The Half of It, Dearie, Blues', and 'Fascinating Rhythm'.

On 1 September 1941 the cinema version of Lady be good! was released in the US, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Eleanor Powell, Ann Sothern, Robert Young and Lionel Barrymore. The producers made some important changes: the plot was different and only two songs were kept from the original score: ‘Oh, Lady Be Good!’ (nominated to the Oscar) and ‘Fascinating Rhythm’. The film was not released in Spain.

Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	DATE OF ENTRANCE	PERMANENCE WEEKS	HIGH POSITION REACHED
Carl Fenton Orchestra	1924.12.11	1925.05.02	1	9	Instrumental
Paul Whiteman Orchestra	1924.12.29	1925.04.04	7	2 (two weeks)	Instrumental
Cliff Edwards	1925.01.??	1925.05.30	1	13	Cliff Edwards (voc, uke)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

Instrumental

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Django Reinhardt- Quintette du Hot Club de France	1934.12.28	Django Reinhardt (g), Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Roger Chaput, Joseph Reinhardt (g), Louis Vola (b)
Red Norvo Orchestra	1936.03.16	Red Norvo (xil), Stew Pletcher (tp), Herbie Haymer (ts), Donald McCook (cl), Howard Smith (p), Dave Barbour (g), Pete Peterson (b), Bob White (d)
Benny Goodman Trio	1936.04.27	Benny Goodman (cl), Teddy Wilson (p), Gene Krupa (d)
Jones- Smith Incorporated	1936.10.09	Carl Smith (tp), Lester Young (ts), Count Basie (p), Walter Page (b), Jo Jones (d)
Count Basie Orchestra	1939.02.04	Count Basie (p, dir), Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Ed Lewis, Shad Collins (tp), Benny Morton, Dan Minor, Dickie Wells (tb), Earle Warren (as), Chu Berry, Lester Young (ts), Jack Washington (bars), Freddie Green (g), Walter Page (b), Jo Jones (d)
Muggsy Spanier Ragtimers	1944.04.22	Muggsy Spanier (cnt), Pee Wee Russell (cl), Ernie Caceres (bars), Dick Cary (p), Eddie Condon (g), Sid Weiss (b), Joe Grauso (d)
Jazz at the Philharmonic	1946.01.28	Al Killian, Howard McGhee (tp), Charlie Parker, Willie Smith (as), Lester Young (ts), Arnold Ross (p), Billy Hadnott (b), Lee Young (d) In Auditorium Philharmonic, Los Angeles (California)
Tadd Dameron Quintet	1948.08.29	Tadd Dameron (p), Fats Navarro (tp), Allen Eager (ts), Curley Russell (b), Kenny Clarke (d)
Erroll Garner Trio	1954.07.27	Erroll Garner (p), Wyatt Ruther (b), Eugene Heard (d)
Jimmy Smith Trio	1956.02.18	Jimmy Smith (org), Thornel Schwartz (g), Bay Perry (d)
Oscar Peterson Trio	1959.07.??	Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Ed Thigpen (d)
Kenny Burrell Quintet	1959.08.25	Kenny Burrell (g), Tina Brooks (ts), Bobby Timmons (p), Ben Tucker (b), Art Blakey (d)
Zoot Sims Quintet	1975.06.06	Zoot Sims (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Joe Pass (g), George Mraz (b), Grady Tate (d)
Ray Brown Trio	1985.11.12	Ray Brown (b), Gene Harris (p), Mickey Roker (d)
Joe Pass	1988.02.03	Joe Pass (g)
Tommy Flanagan Trio	1993.07.30	Tommy Flanagan (p), Peter Washington (b), Lewis Nash (d)

Vocal

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Ella Fitzgerald	1947.03.19	Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Bob Haggart Orchestra
Dizzy Gillespie Sextet	1951.04.16	Dizzy Gillespie (tp), J.J. Johnson (tb), Budd Johnson (ts), Milt Jackson (vib, p), Percy Heath (b), Art Blakey (d), Joe Carroll & Melvin Moore (voc)
Ella Fitzgerald	1957.10.08	Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Roy Eldridge (tp), J.J. Johnson (tb), Sonny Stitt (as), Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Philips, Lester Young (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b)
Slim Gaillard Trio	1959.04.15	Slim Gaillard (g, voc), Fletcher Smith (p, voc), other unidentified musicians
Helen Merrill	1986.03.??	Helen Merrill (voc), Gordon Beck (p), Steve Lacy (ss), Stéphane Grappelli (vn)
Ann Hampton Callaway	1996.??.??	Ann Hampton Callaway (voc), Cyrus Chestnut (p), Christian McBride (b), Lewis Nash (d)
Dianne Reeves	2007.??.??	Dianne Reeves (voc), Alex Sipiaguine, Frank Greene, Jeff Kievit, Tony Kadleck (tp), Dave Taylor, Birch Johnson, John Fedchock (tb), Ken Hitchcock, Marc Phaneuf (as), Charlie Pillow, Walt Weiskopf (ts), Roger Rosenberg (bars), Rob Mounsey (p, dir), Rodney Jones (g), David Finck (b), Lewis Nash (d), string section

On cinemas

The song 'Oh, Lady Be Good!' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

ORIGINAL TITLE	TITLE IN SPAIN	YEAR OF PRODUCTION	PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM
Lady Be Good	No se estrenó en España	1941	Ann Sothern and Robert Young; danced by Eleanor Powell
Girl Crazy	Loco por las chicas	1943	Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
Rhapsody in Blue	Rapsodia en blue	1945	Instrumental
An American In Paris	Un americano en Paris	1951	MGM Studio Orchestra
That's Entertainment, Part II	Hollywood, Hollywood	1976	Secuence of 'Lady Be Good'
Manhattan	Manhattan	1979	New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta (dir)
American Splendor	American Splendor	2003	Dizzy Gillespie
Howl	Howl	2010	Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson and Joe Carroll