Saturday, June 25, 2016

Saturday Jazz Performance! - "Got A Great Big Date With A Little Bitta Girl" - Alex Mendham & His Orchestra

Not too many really exciting things can be said to be occurring these days in the world of classic jazz. The discovery of a couple of Louis Armstrong masters is definitely one piece of exciting news. I will now discuss another exciting development, the production of a music video of Alex Mendham & His Orchestra playing Got A Great Big Date With A Little Bitta Girl! It was released onto YouTube by the band on February 4, 2016. Every time I watch it it just knocks me out. They did a great job capturing the era of the music they play.



Got A Great Big Date With A Little Bitta Girl was written by Joe Sanders (1896-1965) half of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra which he led with Carelton Coon. The Nighthawks first recorded the song in Chicago on July 26, 1929. Its catchy beat and perfect performance makes it a classic tune. It only recently seems to have taken off online however, where many bands can be seen and heard playing it.

Alex Mendham & His Orchestra is a British group that plays dance music from the 1920s and '30s. They released their first album Whistling in the Dark in 2013. They are currently the house band at the Savoy Hotel in London.


Here is the original version played by the Coon-Sanders Orchestra in 1929.



But wait, there's more! So impressed by Alex Mendham & His Orchestra I want to share another of the groups music videos, this time featuring the Dunlop Sisters. They play He's the Last Word composed by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn. 

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