Trav'lin' Light (song)

Last updated
"Trav'lin' Light"
Travelin' Light Paul Whiteman 78.jpg
Single by Billie Holiday, Paul Whiteman
Released1942
Recorded1942
Genre Jazz
Label Capitol Records
Songwriter(s)
Billie Holiday, Paul Whiteman singles chronology
"God Bless the Child"
(1941)
"Trav'lin' Light"
(1942)
"Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)"
(1945)

"Trav'lin' Light" is a 1942 song composed by Trummy Young and Jimmy Mundy with lyrics by Johnny Mercer.

Contents

Background

When Whiteman and his band arrived at Capitol Records' studio for a recording session, Trummy Young brought along his girlfriend, Billie Holiday. Songwriter Johnny Mercer, one of the co-founders of the new label, discovered that Young had a newly written tune with him. Mercer quickly wrote lyrics for it and gave it a title so Holiday could record it with the band. The record label identified the singer as 'Lady Day,' Holiday's nickname, because she was under contract with another label.

Chart performance

In 1942, with vocals by Billie Holiday, Paul Whiteman hit number one on the Harlem Hit Parade charts for three non consecutive weeks. The song also hit the pop charts at number 23 for one week. [1] [2] The Paul Whiteman release lists Billie Holiday as "Lady Day". [3] The trombone is played by Skip Layton. The recording was also re-released as a V-Disc in October, 1944 by the U.S. War Department for shipment overseas for military personnel as 286A under the "Blues" category. [4]

Personnel

The song was recorded in Los Angeles on June 12, 1942 by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra. The personnel on the recording were: Monty Kelly, Larry Neill, Don Waddilove (tp), Skip Layton, Murray McEachern, Trummy Young (tb), Alvy West, Dan D’Andrea, Lennie Hartman, Lester Young (Reeds) Buddy Weed (p), Mike Pingitore (g), Artie Shapiro (b), Willie Rodriguez (d), Unknown string section, Billie Holiday (v), Jimmy Mundy (arr), and Paul Whiteman (conductor). [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book</i> 1964 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book is a 1964 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, focusing on the songs of Johnny Mercer. It was recorded in Los Angeles, California. This is Fitzgerald's fifth and final collaboration with Riddle during her years on the Verve label.

<i>Tony Bennett on Holiday</i> 1997 studio album by Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett on Holiday is a 1997 studio album by Tony Bennett, recorded in tribute to Billie Holiday.

<i>Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics</i> 1962 studio album by Carmen McRae

Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics is a 1962 studio album by Carmen McRae, recorded in tribute to McRae's idol, Billie Holiday, who had died two years previously.

<i>Travlin Light</i> (Jimmy Giuffre 3 album) 1958 studio album by Jimmy Giuffre

Trav'lin' Light is a 1958 album by the Jimmy Giuffre 3.

<i>Travlin Light</i> (Queen Latifah album) 2007 studio album by Queen Latifah

Trav'lin' Light is the sixth studio album by the American hip-hop artist Queen Latifah. The album was released in the United States on September 25, 2007 by Verve Records. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Travlin Light</i> (Anita ODay album) 1961 studio album by Anita ODay

Trav'lin' Light is an album by Anita O'Day released on Norman Granz's Verve record label in 1961. It was a tribute to her idol Billie Holiday. It was recorded January 18 and 19, 1961, in Los Angeles, California. The music was arranged by Johnny Mandel and Russ Garcia and features Ben Webster and Mel Lewis among the personnel.

<i>Lady Sings the Blues</i> (Billie Holiday album) 1956 studio album by Billie Holiday

Lady Sings the Blues is an album by American jazz vocalist Billie Holiday released in December 1956. It was Holiday's last album released on Clef Records; the following year, the label would be absorbed by Verve Records. Lady Sings the Blues was taken from sessions taped during 1954 and 1956. It was released simultaneously with her ghostwritten autobiography of the same name.

<i>The Standard Sonny Rollins</i> 1964 studio album by Sonny Rollins

The Standard Sonny Rollins is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, his last release for RCA Victor, featuring performances by Rollins with Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, David Izenzon, Teddy Smith, Stu Martin, Bob Cranshaw and Mickey Roker.

<i>Buddy Rich Sings Johnny Mercer</i> 1956 studio album by Buddy Rich

Buddy Rich Sings Johnny Mercer is a 1956 studio album by Buddy Rich, of the lyrics of Johnny Mercer, arranged by Buddy Bregman. This was the first of three vocal albums that Rich recorded.

<i>Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic</i> 1954 live album by Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic is a live album by jazz singer Billie Holiday, originally recorded on February 12, 1945 and October 3, 1946 at the Jazz at the Philharmonic concert at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, and at Carnegie Hall on June 3, 1946.

<i>Travelin Light</i> (Shirley Scott & Kenny Burrell album) 1964 studio album by Shirley Scott and Kenny Burrell

Travelin' Light is an album by organist Shirley Scott and guitarist Kenny Burrell recorded in 1964 and released on the Prestige label.

<i>Stompin</i> 1967 studio album by Shirley Scott

Stompin' is an album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label in 1967.

<i>Soulmates</i> (Ben Webster album) 1963 studio album by Ben Webster and Joe Zawinul

Soulmates is an album by saxophonist Ben Webster and pianist Joe Zawinul featuring tracks recorded in 1963 for the Riverside label.

<i>White Gardenia</i> 1961 studio album by Johnny Griffin

White Gardenia is an album by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin with brass and strings which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Riverside label. Intended as a tribute album to jazz singer Billie Holiday, who had died two years earlier, she had sung all of the songs, except for the title track, which is the only original composition by Griffin on the album. The white gardenia was the flower Holiday often wore in her hair. The orchestral arrangements were written by Melba Liston and Norman Simmons.

<i>Lonely and Blue</i> (Etta Jones album) 1962 studio album by Etta Jones

Lonely and Blue is an album by jazz vocalist Etta Jones which was recorded in 1962 and released on the Prestige label.

<i>Reunion with Chet Baker</i> 1958 studio album by Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker

Reunion with Chet Baker is an album recorded in 1957 by saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's Quartet with trumpeter Chet Baker which was released by World Pacific. It was Baker's first recording after moving to New York City.

<i>Embraceable You</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Chet Baker

Embraceable You is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1957 but not released on the Pacific Jazz label until 1995. One song, "Trav'lin' Light" was previously released on the album Pretty/Groovy in 1958 but all other tracks were previously unissued.

<i>Alive!</i> (Carmen McRae album) 1973 studio album by Carmen McRae

Alive! is a 1973 live album by the American jazz singer Carmen McRae recorded at The Village Gate in New York City in 1965. This is a compilation album of two albums already released on Mainstream Records, Woman Talk (1966), and "Live" and Wailing (1968), with Woman Talk covering the first twelve songs, the latter the last nine. The double LP was digitally mastered and released on CD by Sony Music in 1994 on their Columbia/Legacy labels in the "Columbia Jazz Masterpieces" series.

<i>Bakers Holiday</i> 1965 studio album by Chet Baker

Baker's Holiday is an album of songs associated with Billie Holiday by trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker which was recorded in 1965 and released on the Limelight label.

<i>For Lady Day</i> 1991 studio album by Zoot Sims

For Lady Day is an album by saxophonist Zoot Sims recorded in 1978 but not released by the Pablo label until 1991.

References

  1. "Song artist 13 - Paul Whiteman". Tsort.info. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  2. "Song artist 177 - Billie Holiday". Tsort.info. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 622.
  4. "78 RPM - Paul Whiteman - Trav'lin' Light / All for You - V Disc - USA - 286". Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  5. "Trav'lin' Light". Songbook1.wordpress.com. 31 December 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2021.