| "Rockin' in Rhythm" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Duke Ellington | |
| Released | February 1931 |
| Recorded | January 14, 1931 |
| Studio | Brunswick Studios, New York City |
| Genre | Jazz • Swing (proto-swing) |
| Length | 3:02 |
| Label | Brunswick 6038 |
| Songwriters | |
Rockin' in Rhythm is a 1931 jazz instrumental composed by Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, and Irving Mills. [1] The song was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for Brunswick Records on January 14, 1931, in New York City. [2] [3] [4]
The piece originated as a riff brought to the band by baritone saxophonist Harry Carney, who had joined Ellington in 1927 at age 17 and would remain until Ellington's death in 1974. [4] Ellington developed Carney's idea into a full arrangement during the orchestra's long residency at the Cotton Club (1927–1931). [2] As was customary at the time, Ellington's manager and publisher Irving Mills received co-writing credit. [1]
Written in C major, the composition is celebrated for its infectious swing feel, tight ensemble work, and a standout clarinet solo by Barney Bigard. [5] Ellington himself described it as “as close as an arrangement gets to sounding spontaneous.” [4] It is regarded as one of the earliest examples of the big-band swing style that would dominate the later 1930s. [4]
Ellington later reworked the tune as part of "Kinda Dukish", which appeared on his 1960 album Piano in the Background .
"Rockin' in Rhythm" was one of the melodies which featured in the 1986 BBC television series The Singing Detective by Dennis Potter.
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