Shaw first gained critical acclaim with his "Interlude in B-flat" at a swing concert at the Imperial Theater in New York in 1935. During the Swing Era, Shaw's big band was popular with hits like "Begin the Beguine" (1938), "Stardust" (with a legendary trumpet solo by Billy Butterfield), "Back Bay Shuffle", "Moonglow", "Rosalie" and "Frenesi." He was an innovator in the big band idiom, using unusual instrumentation; "Interlude in B-flat", where he was backed with only a rhythm section and a string quartet, was one of the earliest examples of what would be later dubbed third stream.
In addition to hiring Buddy Rich, he signed Billie Holiday as his band's vocalist in 1938, becoming the first white bandleader to hire a full-time black female singer. However, after recording "Any Old Time" she left the band due to hostility from audiences in the South, as well as from music company executives who wanted a more mainstream singer. His band became enormously successful, and his playing was eventually recognized as equal to that of Benny Goodman: Longtime Duke Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard cited Shaw as his favorite clarinet player. In response to Goodman's nickname, the "King of Swing", Shaw's fans dubbed him the "King of the Clarinet." Shaw, however, felt the titles were reversed. "Benny Goodman played clarinet. I played music," he said.
Artie Shaw and his band playing "Everything's Jumping" from Second Chorus (1940)Shaw did in fact prize innovation and exploration in music more highly than popular success and formulaic dance music, despite a string of hits which sold more than 100 million records. He fused jazz with classical music by adding strings to his arrangements, experimented with bebop, and formed "chamber jazz" groups that utilized such novel sounds as harpsichords or Afro-Cuban music.
The long series of musical groups Shaw formed included such talents as vocalists Billie Holiday, Helen Forrest and, Mel Tormé; drummers Buddy Rich and Dave Tough, guitarists Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney, and Tal Farlow and trombonist-arranger Ray Conniff, among countless others. He composed the morose "Nightmare", with its Hassidic nuances, for his personal theme, rather than more approachable songs. In a televised interview of the 1970s, Shaw derided the often "asinine" songs that bands were compelled to play night after night even though he did write the anthem for Rav Meir Kahane's' JDL . In 1994, he told Frank Prial (The New York Times), "I thought that because I was Artie Shaw I could do what I wanted, but all they wanted was 'Begin the Beguine.'
Concerto for Clarinet
Artie Shaw and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
Since everyone spread the story
With his own little personal touch
[Chorus]
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Is over my head
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True, I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue?
When we're apart, the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But, please, do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
Do nothin' till you hear from me
[Chorus]
True, I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue?
When we're apart, the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But, please, do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
The lyrics of "Concerto for Clarinet" by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra is a message from the singer to their lover, telling them to ignore any rumors they may have heard about the singer being unfaithful or seeing someone else. The singer implores their lover to not take any information from anybody else unless it comes directly from them. The chorus serves as a reminder to not pay attention to hearsay and gossip, and instead to wait for the truth from the source. The lyrics are a plea for trust and honesty in the relationship, as the singer declares their true love and dedication to their lover.
Furthermore, the lyrics also reveal the vulnerability of the singer, acknowledging that they have been seen with someone new, but assuring their lover that this does not mean they are being unfaithful. The lyrics suggest that even though the singer may experience moments of confusion or temptation, they are loyal to their lover, and their feelings for them are sincere.
Overall, the lyrics of "Concerto for Clarinet" express the importance of clear communication, trust, and honesty in a relationship, while also highlighting the fragility of love and how easily it can be undermined by hearsay and gossip.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told someone and someone told you
Rumors about me have spread around through the grapevine
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
Although rumors can be hurtful, I believe they were not intended to be so in this case
Since everyone spread the story
Everyone has contributed to spreading the rumors about me
With his own little personal touch
Each person added their own spin on the rumors as they shared them
Do nothin' till you hear from me
I ask that you wait for my side of the story before you act
Pay no attention to what's said
Please do not give credence to rumors and hearsay
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
I do not understand why people enjoy ruining others' reputation or happiness
Is over my head
I am clueless as to why it happens and cannot control it
At least consider our romance
I hope you do not give up on our relationship without getting my side of things
If you should take the word of others you've heard
If you believe in rumors and do not wait for my explanation
I haven't a chance
There is no hope for our relationship if you do not trust me
True, I've been seen with someone new
I admit to being seen with someone else
But does that mean that I'm untrue?
It does not necessarily mean that I have been unfaithful
When we're apart, the words in my heart
When we are not together, my true feelings for you are revealed
Reveal how I feel about you
These words show my love for you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
Perhaps a kiss with someone else has occurred, but it does not diminish my feelings for you
And other arms may hold a thrill
I may have felt momentary attraction with someone else, but you are the one I truly love
But, please, do nothin' till you hear it from me
Again, I plead with you to trust me and wait for my explanation
And you never will
You will not hear anything incriminating from me because I have nothing to hide
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, BOB RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@clarasmith6509
Fantastic Artie Shaw lives on in this man!
@Ben-ig3bf
By far the best performance I have ever heard of Artie Shaw Concerto.
Outstanding, simply, Outstanding
@CarlMikaelBlomkvist
This is the best performance of Shaw's concerto I've ever heard, sounds so jazzy!
@scotnick59
Yes: at times, Gershwin-esque!
@mathersdavid5113
Terrific jazz clarinet playing with fire yet retaining beautiful tone and intonation The smiles on the players' faces says it all. These guys can swing.
@manuhinabane5905
Creo que es la mejor interpretación que jamás he escuchado, maravilloso 👏👏👏
@I.amthatrealJuan
I came upon a short excerpt of this on Instagram and had to find the full video. This performance is wonderful!
@MrSouzy
What i love about this are the faces of the other members of the orchestra. They are obviously really loving this. Especially the fine lady with the cello. And that Klezmer typr of sound suits this soooo well. I also play but can only dream of sounding this good....
@iamprincemuel
Speechless!!! I had listened to other versions of this piece previously and came across this version accidentally in mp3 format. It was astonishingly different from the others in its beauty but there was no performer's name on the audio so I searched and listened to the various performances on youtube until I found it. Thumbs up Yehudin
@andersonrussodesousa7515
Não sei quantas vezes já voltei aqui pra ver esse vídeo, é muito bom, grande performance.