Just caught the last 3 minutes of this on TCM. Figured that it would also be available on Youtube as well. Don Redman led one of the great swing bands of the 1930s and was a bit of a showman in the Cab Calloway mode. He was the uncle of saxophonist Dewey Redman, and thus great-uncle of saxophonist Joshua Redman.
He started off writing arrangements for Fletcher Henderson in 1922 and soon led his own band. The novelty performance of “Nagasaki” is some of the best scat you will hear outside of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
Great stuff.
never knew he was related to dewey redman… that’s quite a connection.
don did some of his best work in europe, as i recall, but my record collection is in storage and i can’t refer back.
Comment by jp — April 23, 2011 @ 2:36 pm