All you cotton toters,
Mississippi floaters,
Gather all about!
Gather all about!
Got some things to tell ya.
Not a thing to sell ya.
Listen and you'll all find out.
What I'm about to say
WIll take your breath away,
So, come a little closer,
Just a little closer,
Got a lotta news to shout! Say!

Good people, you're invited tonight
To the Riverboat Shuffle!
Good people, we got rhythm tonight
At the Riverboat Shuffle!
They tell me that slidepipe tooter is grand,
Best in Loosianna;
So bring your freighter, come and alligator that band.
Mister Hawkins on the tenor!
Good people, you'll hear Milenberg Joys
In a special orches-stration!
Even Mamma Dinah will be there to strut for the boys
I'n a room full of noise.
She'll teach you to shuffle it right,
So, bring your baby;

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish, Dick Voynow

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them

Comments from YouTube:

brad kay

2y↑23

Once again, after hearing it for the two hundredth time, "Riverboat Shuffle" remains diamond-bright, luscious and shiny. Bix actually is playing three parts: his solos and breaks, the ensembles, and when he DOESN'T play. His absence in the the four bars before the big finish is profound. This record is as total an expression of joy as is physically possible among humans. NASA should launch a third Voyager probe to send OKeh 40822 out to the deprived aliens.

Ealswythe Angelic Realms

1y↑1

Maybe the recent sightings of all these UFO's are aliens visiting us looking for original Okeh 78's of Trumbauer's orchestra with Bix.

Trygve Hernæs

5y↑20

One of the greatest of all recordings with Bix. The whole session is just fantastic, sound quality included.

Tal Sydney Lightbody

4y↑19

That Bix sound, this is one of greatest early jazz recordings I’ve heard

Ronald Hockett

46w↑2

Yes, the sound quality, happy feeling, and “modernistic” touches make this one of the best Bix-Tram records. Bix’s and Murray’s solos are outstanding! Although all the discographies list Tram as playing C-melody on this, he is quite clearly playing an alto as evidenced by his first break on the last chorus going to the high “F” (Ab concert), well above the range of a C-melody. Plus it just SOUNDS like an alto! (Think Jimmy Dorsey)

kafenwar

10w

Trumbauer is actually just on regular C-melody sax; he was not averse to hitting semi-altissimo notes such as this one (he went up to Bb concert in a later live performance on the same instrument!!).

ROGER OFFORD

2y↑3

Maybe my favourite jazz recording of all time ! So "modernistic" for 1927. The pics of the boats are fabulous too . Thank you Emrah

msjazzmeblues

4y↑9

And they sound like they are having the time of their lives!

Per Olof Rydeström

They did!

Giovanni Rivoira

2y↑1

To me the best Bix solo on Okeh along with Three blind mice.Something unbeliavable!!!Thank you so much!!!

Derpy Possum

this sounds amazing! :)

Tal Sydney Lightbody

3y↑4

Don Murray.... just... god damn don Murray. Will not stop wishing he was alive and well in the 30s to make so many more recordings. What’s the earliest recording with Don Murray

Atticus Jazz

3y↑1

"Sobbin' Blues" with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, in their July 17, 1923 session.

From the same session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Icq1C2J3s

Eduardo Esposito

3y↑1

Un trompeta de elegante estilo...un romántico imprescindible

Cuarto 101

A little correction: Bix plays a cornet, not a trumpet. With respect from BsAires, Argentina, in the far far South.

Wallace Harper

2y↑1

Bix at his very BEST

Jeffrey Benson

3y↑2

Bix at his best

Jourwalis -

2y↑1

Fantastic photos!

TuanBasikal

2y↑2

This was a "head" arrangement worked out at the same recording session in which they recorded "Ostrich Walk."

Ronald Hockett

46w

All discographies list Bill Challis as arranger. To me it is apparent that several parts are arranged by him including the opening verse, the last two bars of Bix’s solo, the following verse, and the last two bars of Murray’s solo. All the rest is improvised, although the frequent two-bar breaks were planned ahead.

TuanBasikal

@Paul Money My original comment was based on my memory that it was an improvised "head" arrangement done when they had some time left at a session. After you questioned it, I looked it up and verified the first part, but not the second. It may be a different session where they filled in with something, or that I heard or read the story some place other than where I checked. So I took out the part I couldn't verify and left the part that I could.

Paul Money

@TuanBasikal Thanks. I see that what you have now posted is slightly different! So it goes.

TuanBasikal

@Paul Money It's documented as such.

Paul Money

Really? why do you think that?

Ferman Critico nostalgio

2y↑1

Molto Buono Francesco & Salvatore, This Is The Birth Of Gyptian Mood

JazzFan76

2y↑3

This song was in the video game Mafia 2

Girardi.

26w↑1

@gammeltfossil Basically, Billions Of People Since The "Hecking Computer Games" Are One Of The Most Profitable Bussiness Out There.

gammeltfossil

52w

Who cares about hecking computer games. Just enjoy the music.

Brian Wolle

3y↑1

i always thought the ensemble was a mess. sounds like a large hall ~~hard to hear individuals. bix's solo -this being 1927~~ is magnificent. other solos are also good.

TuanBasikal

2y↑1

As I recall, this was a "head" arrangement worked out at the end of a recording session when they had a little time left after recording their planned numbers that day. And the early Western Electric recording process as used by OKeh and Columbia could sound a little harsh and shrill. Some of the results are a bit hard to listen to.