PERDIDO
Music: Juan Tizol- Lyrics: Ervin Drake, Hans Jan Lengsfelder
Year: 1941
Origin of the song
Trombonist Juan Tizol’s tells that he wrote ‘Perdido’ (‘Lost’) for the Standard Radio Transcription Services, a company that supplied programmes to radio stations. Shortly after, on 21 January 1942, he recorded the piece again for the label Victor. This last is considered to be the original version.
Even though Drake and Lengsfelder were hired in 1944 to write the lyrics for the song, Ellington only used it when he accompanied Ella Fitzgerald on the recording on 27 June 1957 for the album The Duke Ellington Song Book. To most of the critics, performers and amateurs the poor quality of the lyrics of ‘Perdido’ had always stood out. Nevertheless, its musical simplicity, based on short phrases, and its irresistible swing have made of it a favourite piece for many jam sessions.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1942.01.21 |
1943.05.22 |
1 |
21 |
Instrumental |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra |
1942.01.21 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Rex Stewart (cnt), Wallace Jones, Ray Nance (tp), Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton (tb), Juan Tizol (vtb), Barney Bigard (cl), Johnny Hodges (ss, as, cl), Otto Hardwick (as), Ben Webster (ts), Harry Carney (cl, as, bars), Fred Guy (g), Jimmy Blanton (b), Sonny Greer (d) |
|
1944.12.18 |
Erroll Garner (p), John Simmons (b), Harold 'Doc' West (d) |
|
|
Stuff Smith Trio |
1945.06.09 |
Stuff Smith (vn), Billy Taylor (p), Ted Sturgis (b) |
|
1952.07.01 |
Duke Ellington (dir), Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry (tp), Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman (tb), Juan Tizol (vtb), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Hilton Jefferson (as), Russell Procope (as, cl), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Harry Carney (bars), Billy Strayhorn (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Louis Bellson (d) |
|
|
1953.03.02 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Ron Crotty (b), Lloyd Davis (d) |
|
|
1953.05.15 |
Charlie Parker (as), Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Bud Powell (p), Charles Mingus (b), Max Roach (d) In Massey Hall Theatre, Toronto |
|
|
1955.08.01 |
Art Tatum (p), Lionel Hampton (vib), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
|
Oscar Pettiford Orchestra |
1956.06.12 |
Oscar Pettiford (b, dir), Ernie Royal, Art Farmer (tp), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Julius Watkins, David Amram (tpa), Gigi Gryce (as), Lucky Thompson (ts), Jerome Richardson (ts, fl), Danny Bank (bars), Tommy Flanagan (p), Osie Johnson (d) |
|
1968.04.?? |
Oscar Peterson (p) |
|
|
Don Patterson |
1969.06.02 |
Don Patterson (org), Virgil Jones (tp), Houston Person, George Coleman (ts), Pat Martino (g), Frankie Jones (d) |
|
Dexter Gordon- Ben Webster |
1972.03.23 |
Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster (ts), Thomas Clausen Trio |
|
1973.07.29 |
Herb Ellis, Joe Pass (g), Ray Brown (b), Jake Hanna (d) |
|
|
Roy Eldridge Quartet |
1977.07.13 |
Roy Eldridge (tp), Oscar Peterson (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Bobby Durham (d) |
|
Mel Martin- Benny Carter Quintet |
1994.04.30 |
Mel Martin (ts, fl), Benny Carter (as), Roger Kellaway (p), Jeff Chambers (b), Harold Jones (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1950.07.20 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Norman Leyden Orchestra |
|
|
1957.06.27 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Duke Ellington (p, dir), Cat Anderson, Harold Baker, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry (tp), Quentin Jackson, John Sanders, Britt Woodman (tb), Johnny Hodges (as), Russell Procope (as, cl), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Jimmy Hamilton (ts, cl), Harry Carney (bars, cl), Jimmy Woode (b), Sam Woodyard (d) |
|
|
Gloria Lynne |
1958.11.01 |
Gloria Lynne (voc), Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Sam Taylor (ts), Wild Bill Davis (org), Kenny Burrell (g), Eddie Costa (vib), Milt Hilton (b) Jo Jones (d) |
|
1961.01.13 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Count Basie (dir), Snooky Young, Joe Newman, Sonny Cohn, Thad Jones (tp), Al Grey, Benny Powell, Henry Coker (tb), Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, Frank Wess (ts, as, fl), Marshall Royal (as), Charlie Fowlkes (fl, bars), Marshall Royal (cl), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Sonny Payne (d) |
|
|
Carmen McRae |
1965.11.?? |
Carmen McRae (voc), Norman Simmons (p), Victor Sproles (b), Stu Martin (d) |
|
Ranee Lee |
1999.06.?? |
Ranee Lee (voc), Ron DiLauro (tp), Muhammad Abdul Al-Khabyyr (tb), Richard Beaudet (cl, sax), Tilden Webb (p), Richard Ring (g), Dave Laing (d) |
On cinemas
The song “Perdido” is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Next Stop, Greenwich Village |
Próxima parada, Greenwich Village |
1976 |
Dave Brubeck Quartet |
|
Another Woman |
Otra mujer |
1988 |
Dave Brubeck Quartet |
|
The Fabulous Baker Boys |
Los fabulosos Baker Boys |
1989 |
Duke Ellington Orchestra |
|
Blue Ice |
Seducción peligrosa |
1993 |
Gerald Presencer, Steve Williamson, Pete King, Anthony Kerr, David Green, Charlie Watts |
|
Seven Years in Tibet |
Siete años en el Tibet |
1997 |
Duke Ellington Orchestra |
|
Evening |
El atardecer |
2007 |
The West Coast All Stars |
|
Gangster Squad |
Brigada de élite |
2013 |
The Gangster Squad Movie Band |
|
Carol |
Carol |
2015 |
Woody Herman |