Caravan
There's this song I really like called "Caravan". It was written by Duke Ellington way back when and it's just a great tune. It's a great song in the same way that the theme to Johnny Quest was a great song. It sounds good on the guitar, piano, harp, mandolin, or the trumpet, with bongos in the background or with a vibraphone accompaniment. It just sounds good no matter what style it's played in, who's playing it, or what it's being played on (even the normally ass-tastic solo flute!). And that's a good thing because it's been recorded by a lot or people over the years. I've got 44 versions of the song so far and I've been meaning to get them all for a while now. As many as I can, at least, without resorting to buying Caravan compilation CDs. (Ha! There's an actual market for variations on the Caravan theme, so I'm not the only one, Tess!) EMusic.com has been very helpful in my searches.
Imagine my joy when my uncle John sent me this list he found of everyone who's recorded a version of Ellington's classic tune:
- First recording: Duke Ellington, Master Records single 131
- Winifred Atwell, The Magic Fingers of Winifred Atwell, Vol. 1, London LL 1246
- The Don Baker Trio, Cocktail Hammond, Capitol T-1099
- Vinnie Bell, Big Sixteen Guitar Favorites, Musicor MS3047
- Vincent Bell, The Best of Vinnie Bell, Musicor MS3192 (reissue of MS3047)
- Stanley Black, Exotic Percussion, London Phase 4 SP 44004
- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Caravan, Riverside 9438
- Noel Boggs, Magic Steel Guitar, Shasta SH-LP-601
- Al Bollington, Presenting Al Bollington at the Conn Organ, Decca DL 74223
- Kenny Burrell, Ellington is Forever, vol. 1, Fantasy 79005
- John Buzon Trio, Inferno!, Liberty LRP-3108
- Billy Byers, Impressions of Duke Ellington, Mercury/Wing SRW 16397
- Al Caiola and Don Arnone, Great Pickin', Chancellor CHLS-5008
- Candido, Candido in Indigo, ABC-Paramount ABC-236
- Eddie Cano Sextet, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and Me, BMG Tropical 3459
- Erdogan Capli, Exciting Rhythms of Piano Pasha, Time S/2074
- David Carroll, Percussion Orientale, Mercury PPS 2002
- Brothers Castro, Recorded Live at Harrah's Tahoe, Capitol T 2015
- George Cates, Take Five, Dot DLP 25400
- Chaquito and his orchestra, Hot Cha-Cha-Cha, Columbia CL 1293
- Roy Clark, The Roy Clark guitar spectacular!, Capitol T-2425
- Buddy Cole, Pipes, Pedals and Fidelity, Columbia CS 8065
- Buddy Cole, Ingenuity in Sound, Ingenuity In Sound, Warner Brothers WBS 1442
- Ray Conniff, You Make Me Feel So Young, Columbia CL 2116
- Jack Costanzo, Jack Costanzo and His Afro Cuban Band, Crescendo GNP-19
- Irv Cottler, Around The World in Percussion, Somerset P-13900
- Lenny Dee, Dee-Lirious, Decca DLP 8165
- Lenny Dee, The Lenny Dee Show, Decca DLP 8913
- Martin Denny, Exotica Vol. 3, Liberty LST-7116
- Glenn Derringer, Plays Great American Music People, Ovation OV 1707
- Ismael Diaz and his Orchestra, Honeymoon in Acapulco, Forum F9036
- Bill Doggett, A Salute to Ellington, King 533
- Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Warren Covington, The Swingin' Era, Decca DL 8914
- Kenny Drew Trio, Kenny Drew Trio, Riverside 224
- Johnny Dupont, All Stops Out!, Columbia CS 9350
- Kurt Edelhagen, Jazz from Germany, Decca DLP 8231
- El Coco, Caravan, American Variety AVI 1040
- Les and Larry Elgart, The New Elgart Touch, Columbia CS 9101
- Duke Ellington, Duke Ellington Vol. 3, Everest Records FS 266
- Duke Ellington/Max Roach/Charles Mingus, Money Jungle, Blue Note 46398
- John Elliott and his Diatonic 4, Organ Rhythms, Promenade QX1
- John Evans, Exotic Percussion and Brilliant Brass, Directional Sound DS 500
- Fabulous Jokers, The Fabulous Jokers, Monument SLP 18059
- Johnny Farina, Pure Steel, Vol. 1, Aniraf Inc. JF-17
- Ferrante and Teicher, Hi-Fireworks, Columbia CL 573
- Ella Fitzgerald, The Duke Ellington Songbook, Verve VE2-2535
- Tommy Flanagan, The Tokyo Recital, Pablo 2310-724
- Erroll Garner, Erroll Garner, Columbia CL 535
- Marty Gold, Skin Tight, RCA Victor LPM-2230
- Morton Gould, Jungle Drums, RCA Victor LM-1994
- Earl Grant, Yes Sirree!, Decca DL 74405
- Bill Haley & His Comets, Mr. Rock & Roll, Charly CDCD 1080
- Chico Hamilton Quintet, The Chico Hamilton Quintet in Stereo, World Pacific S-1005
- Alfred Hause, Hausball, Polydor 237 129
- Al Hirt, Al Hirt at Dan's Pier 600, Audio Fidelity AFSD5877
- Hollywood Pops Orchestra, Stereo Motion in Percussion, Marble Arch MALS 775
- Freddie Hubbard, The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard, Impulse LP
- Dick Hyman, A Zillion Strings, Everest ELP 1074
- Milt Jackson/Ray Brown/Joe Pass, The Duke Ellington Album, Pablo 2312-117
- Milt Jackson, Mostly Duke, Palbo 2310-944
- Illinois Jacquet, The King!, Prestige 7597
- Harry James, Still Harry After All These Years, Sheffield Labs CD-11
- Gordon Jenkins, Blue Preludes, Sunset SUS 5149
- Jackie Jocko, Like Wow, Strand SLS-1053
- Sir Julian, The Thirteen Fingers of Sir Julian, RCA Victor LSP-2372
- Bert Kaempfert, Love That Bert Kaempfert, Decca DL 74986
- Phil Kraus/Bob Rosengarden, Like Bongos, Time S/2025
- Eddie Layton, Caravan, Mercury SR 60098
- Don Lee, Crazy Rhythm, Jubilee JGM-1067
- Enoch Light, Future Sound Shock, Project 3 PR5077SD
- Enoch Light, Persuasive Percussion 1966, Command RS 895 SD
- Living Guitars, Guitar Man, RCA Camden CAS-2245
- Los Admiradores, Bongos/Flutes/Guitars, Command RS 812 SD
- Robert Lowden, Motion in Percussion, Somerset LP
- Arthur Lyman, Taboo, HiFi Record R806
- Kurt Maier, Plays Encores of Harlem, Allegro 1673
- Herbie Mann, Flautista, Verve V-8336
- Robert Maxwell, The very best of Robert Maxwell, MGM E-4246
- Ralph Marterie, Big Band Themes with 88 Strings and a Golden Horn, United Artists UAS 6177
- Buddy Merrill, The Guitar Sounds of Buddy Merrill, Accent AC 5010 SLP
- Buddy Merrill, Guitars on Fire, Accent SQBO 91997
- The Mighty Accordion Band, They Said It Couldn't Be Done, Capitol T1212
- The Mills Brothers, Swing Is the Thing, Decca MOR 535
- Thelonious Monk, Plays Duke Ellington, Riverside 201
- Hugo Montenegro, Ellington Fantasy, Vik LX-1106
- Hugo Montenegro, Others By Brothers, RCA APL1-0784
- Wes Montgomery, Movin' Wes, Verve 810 045-1
- Art Mooney, Cha-Cha-Cha, Spinorama MK 3079
- Hal Mooney/Gene Lowell Singers, Voices in Song and Percussion, Time S/2008
- Sandy Nelson, Drums Are My Beat, Imperial LP-12083
- Sandy Nelson, Manhattan Spiritual, Imperial LP-12439
- 101 Strings, 101 Strings Plus Dynamic Percussion, Alshire S-5145
- David Parker, Balalaika, World-Pacific Records ST1824
- Joe Pass, Portraits of Duke Ellington, Pablo 2310-716
- Les Paul, Les Paul NOW!, London Phase 4 SP44101
- Les Paul, The Genius of Les Paul: Multi-Trackin', London LC 50016 (reissue of London Phase 4 LP)
- Perez Prado, Our Man in Latin America, RCA Victor LSP-2610
- Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, Tough!, Prestige 24138
- Tito Puente, Tito Puente and Friend, Tropical TRLP 5138
- Gene Rains Group, Far Across the Sea, Decca DL 74164
- Rhythm Rockers, Soul Surfin', Challenge CH 617
- Jerome Richardson, Midnight Oil, New Jazz 8205
- The River Boat Five, From Natchez to Mobile, Mercury-Wing MGW-12251-W
- David Rose, 21 Channel Sound, MGM SE4004
- Santo & Johnny, Santo & Johnny, Canadian-American SCALP-1001
- Buddy Sarkissian & his Mecca Four, Soul of the East, Cameo C-1023
- Heinz Schachtner, Trumpet in Gold Vol. 3, Polydor 543.008
- Lalo Schifrin, Piano Espanol, Tico LP-1070
- Dick Schory, Music to Break Any Mood, RCA Victor LSP-2125
- George Shearing, Shearing on Stage!, Capitol T-1187
- The Sheik's Men, The Belly Dancer, Reprise R-6056
- Tak Shindo, Brass and Bamboo, Capitol T-1345
- Felix Slatkin, Fantastic Percussion!, Liberty LST 7150
- Axel Stordahl, Jasmine Jade, Dot DLP 3282
- Art Tatum, The Best of Art Tatum, Pablo 2405-418
- Jimi Tenor, Intervision, Warp Records (UK) WARP CD48
- The Three Suns, Movin' 'n' Groovin', RCA Victor Stereo Action LSA-2532
- Tom and Jerry, Guitar's Greatest Hits, Mercury MG-20626
- Shay Torrent, Shay Torrent at the Hammond organ, Mercury MG-20415
- John Scott Trotter, Escape to the Magic Mediterranean, Warner Bros WS 1266
- The Ventures, Walk--Don't Run, Dolton BST-8003
- Ventures, Live In Japan '65, EMI 7243 8 32820 2 9
- Ventures, Live on Stage, Dolton BST 8035
- Wal-Berg and his Orchestra, Exotic Music from the Far East, Mercury SR 60601
- Walter Wanderley, Perpetual Motion Love, GNP Crescendo GNPS 2142
- Dinah Washington, The Swingin' Miss D, Emarcy 6336 714
- Ben Webster, At the Renaissance, Contemporary 7646
- Frances Wayne, The Warm Sound, Atlantic 1263
- Roger Williams, It's a Big, Wide Wonderful World, Kapp KL-1008
- George Wright, The Wright Touch, Dot DLP 3447
- Si Zentner, Si Zenter and His Orchestra Play Desafinado, Liberty LST-7273
There are some artists missing -- the list doesn't include such greats as Claw Hammer or the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, for example -- but that should keep me busy for a while.
Well, there's something to be said for completeness.
I was listening to them all last night in series. It's actually kinda cool. You don't really hear the same song. They all have different tempos and are played on different instruments so you do't really realize it's the same thing unless you concentrate.
Obsession - it's not just a stinky 80's era perfume.
Uncle John missed my favorite: Wynton Marsalis, Standard Time Vol 1, track 1.
I actually have that one, E. I think UJ's list came from someone looking solely at LP records. It seems somewhat dated.
Ya know, when you fill your head with stuff like this you lose important trigonometry knowledge. (Or the ability to spell trigonometry.)I lost the little I had to 70's & 80's song lyrics.