Do nothing till you hear from me
Do Nothing till You Hear from Me is a composition by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Bob Russell .
background
The composition is based on the instrumental title Concerto for Cootie from 1940, a feature for trumpeter Cootie Williams ; Russell's text was added later. Ellington's first own recording of the composition reached number one in the rhythm and blues charts in 1944 . Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me has since been featured by many singers such as Louis Armstrong , Nat King Cole , Billie Holiday , Dr. John , Mary J. Blige , Tony Bennett , Robbie Williams and Nina Simone . Major instrumental recordings of the title have been made by Johnny Hodges , Joe Pass , Oscar Peterson and Zoot Sims . André Hodeir called the composition “a masterpiece. It shows an economy of means, which is the sign of real classical music ”. JL Collier considers Echoes of the Jungle , one of those Jungle Style pieces (around 1930), to be the predecessor of the Concerto for Cootie ; there, too, the contrasting themes of growl and open trumpet by Williams can be found.
Cover versions
Do Nothing till You Hear from Me has been recorded by many well-known singers, including Mose Allison , Louis Armstrong , Tony Bennett , Mary J. Blige , Suzy Bogguss , Nat King Cole , Phil Collins , Harry Connick, Jr. , Sammy Davis, Jr. , Ella Fitzgerald , Lena Horne , Billie Holiday , Dr. John , Gladys Knight , Diana Krall , Patti Page , Robert Palmer , Nina Simone , Andy Williams , Robbie Williams and Fiona Apple .
Trivia
Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me (2004) is also the title of a sitcom-TV-comedy on the British broadcaster BBC Radio 4 .
Literature / source
- Carlo Bohländer , Karl Heinz Holler, Christian Pfarr: Reclam's Jazz Guide . 4th, revised and supplemented edition. Reclam, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-15-010355-X .
- James Lincoln Collier: Duke Ellington . Berlin, Ullstein, 1998
Remarks
- ↑ André Hodier: Jazz Its Evolutios and Essence. Quoted from JL Collier, p. 331.