Mildred Bailey sings

If you’ve never heard the verse to “Georgia on My Mind,” or if you’ve never heard the verse to “Honeysuckle Rose,” or if you’ve never heard the verse to either, or if you’ve never heard Mildred Bailey, or even if you have:

 

“Georgia on My Mind” (Hoagy Carmichael–Stuart Gorrell). Mildred Bailey and a sextet directed by Matty Malneck: Nat Natoli, trumpet; John “Bullet” Cordaro, clarinet; Malneck, violin; Roy Bargy, piano; Fritz Ciccone, guitar; Mike Trafficante, tuba. November 24, 1931.

“Honeysuckle Rose” (Thomas “Fats” Waller–Andy Razaf). Mildred Bailey and Her Alley Cats: Bunny Berigan, trumpet; Johnny Hodges, alto sax; Teddy Wilson, piano; Grachan Moncur, bass. December 6, 1935.

Before listening to five CDs’ worth of Mildred Bailey, I knew her voice just slightly. And I had never heard these verses. So I have just realized that the verse to “Georgia on My Mind” strongly (and appropriately) echoes Franz Liszt’s Liebestraum no. 3. Who knew!

[I’m making my way through my dad’s CDs. Adderley, Julian “Cannonball”; Anderson, Ivie; Armstrong, Louis; Astaire, Fred; Bailey, Mildred. Next stop: Basie, Count.]