Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular big bands, Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, from the start of the 1930s through to the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Doc Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Chu Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86.
Calloway was born to a middle-class family in Rochester, New York, and lived there until 1918. He later lived in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Cabell Calloway II, was a lawyer, and his mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a teacher and church organist. His parents recognised their son's musical talent, and he began private voice lessons in 1922. He continued to study music and voice throughout his formal schooling. Despite his parents' and vocal teachers' disapproval of jazz, Calloway began frequenting and eventually performing in many of Baltimore's jazz clubs, where he was mentored by drummer Chick Webb and pianist Johnny Jones.
After graduating from high school, Calloway joined his older sister, Blanche, in a touring production of the popular black musical revue Plantation Days (Blanche Calloway herself went on to become an accomplished bandleader before her brother did, and he often credited his inspiration to enter show business to her). Calloway attended Lincoln University, Pennsylvania , and left in 1930 without graduating.
When the tour ended in Chicago in the autumn, Cab decided to remain in Chicago with his sister, who had an established career as a jazz singer in that city. His parents had hopes of their son becoming a lawyer like his father, so Calloway enrolled in Crane College. His main interest, however, was in singing and entertaining, and he spent most of his nights at the Dreamland Cafe, the Sunset Cafe, and the Club Berlin, performing as a drummer, singer, and emcee. At the Sunset Cafe he met and performed with Louis Armstrong who taught him to sing in the scat style.
The Cotton Club was the premier jazz venue in the country, and Cab Calloway and his Orchestra (he had taken over a brilliant but failing band called "The Missourians" in 1930) were hired as a replacement for the Duke Ellington Orchestra while they were touring. Calloway quickly proved so popular that his band became the co-house band with Ellington's, and he and his group began touring nationwide when not playing at the Cotton Club. Their popularity was greatly enhanced by the twice-weekly live national radio broadcasts on NBC at the Cotton Club. Calloway also appeared on Walter Winchell's radio program and with Bing Crosby in his show at the Paramount Theatre. As a result of these appearances, Calloway, together with Ellington, broke the major broadcast network colour barrier.
Unlike many other bands of comparable commercial success, Calloway's gave ample soloing space to its lead members, and, through the varied arrangements of Walter 'Foots' Thomas, provided much more in the way of musical interest.
In 1931, he recorded his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher". That song, together with "St James Infirmary Blues" and "The Old Man of the Mountain", were performed for the Betty Boop animated shorts Minnie the Moocher, Snow White, and The Old Man of the Mountain respectively. Through rotoscoping, Cab not only gave his voice to these cartoons but his dance steps as well. Cab took advantage of this and timed his concerts in some communities with the release of the films in order to make the most of the attention. As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher" he became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man". He also performed in a series of short films for Paramount in the 1930s (Calloway and Ellington were featured on film more than any other Jazz Orchestra of the era). In 1943 he appeared in the high-profile 20th Century Fox musical film, Stormy Weather.
In his later career, Calloway became a popular personality, appearing in a number of films and stage productions that utilised both his acting and singing talents. In 1952, he played the prominent role of Sportin' Life in a production of the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. Another notable role was Yeller in The Cincinnati Kid (1965). In 1967 Calloway co-starred as Horace Vandergelder in an all-black revival of Hello, Dolly! (even though the original production was still running) starring Pearl Bailey. This was a major success, and led to a cast recording released by RCA. In 1973-1974 he was featured in an unsuccessful Broadway revival of The Pajama Game.
Calloway attracted renewed interest in 1980 when he appeared as a supporting character in the film The Blues Brothers, performing "Minnie the Moocher", and again when he sang "The Jumpin' Jive" with the Two-Headed Monster on Sesame Street. This was also the year in which the cult film Forbidden Zone was released, which included rearrangements and parodies of Cab Calloway songs written by Danny Elfman, a Calloway fan.
On 18th November 1994 Calloway died, having suffered a major stroke six months earlier. In 1998, The Cab Calloway Orchestra (directed by Cab's grandson C. "CB" Calloway Brooks) was formed to honour Cab Calloway's legacy nationally and internationally.
Sweet Rhythm
Cab Calloway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The melody they seem to play
Then I find on my mind, sweet rhythm
Blowing onward to the mighty river
It carries on this harmony
Riplets say, "Hear us play sweet rhythm"
In every trickle that you hear
Plainly to you they are revealing
Rhapsody clear, dear
Sweet music in it's trickling moments
Down gently to the sea it flows
Melodies bringing me sweet rhythm
The lyrics of "Sweet Rhythm" by Cab Calloway & His Orchestra celebrate the beautiful and captivating power of music. The song begins with the reference to the babbling of a brookstream, emphasizing the natural elements of music. The melody of the brookstream is described as playing in the mind, suggesting that music has the ability to transport and immerse one's thoughts in its enchanting rhythm. The idea of the brookstream flowing onward to the mighty river signifies the continuity and expansiveness of music, as it carries its harmonious message to a wider audience.
The riplets, created by the movement of the water, express their own voice in the form of sweet rhythm. This highlights the idea that music can be found in even the simplest and most natural of things, as well as the interconnectedness of all sounds. The lyrics imply that there is something irresistibly appealing about the individual sounds and melodies, as they reveal a clear rhapsody when listened to attentively.
The song conveys the idea that music has the power to bring joy and tranquility to our lives. The gentle trickling moments of sweet music, flowing down to the sea, symbolize the way in which music can enhance and enrich our emotions. The melodies, described as bringing sweet rhythm, evoke a sense of harmony and balance, perhaps suggesting that music can help restore and soothe the soul amidst the challenges and turbulence of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear the babbling of the brookstream
I am enraptured by the gentle sound of the brookstream
The melody they seem to play
It feels like the brookstream itself is creating a beautiful melody
Then I find on my mind, sweet rhythm
This sweet rhythm becomes ingrained in my thoughts
Blowing onward to the mighty river
Flowing effortlessly towards the powerful river
It carries on this harmony
The harmony of the brookstream is carried along
Riplets say, "Hear us play sweet rhythm"
The small ripples in the water echo, inviting us to listen to their own rendition of sweet rhythm
There's something that is so appealing
There is an undeniable charm to this experience
In every trickle that you hear
Within every gentle flow of water you listen to
Plainly to you they are revealing
They openly unveil their secrets to you
Rhapsody clear, dear
A clear and delightful symphony
Sweet music in its trickling moments
The brookstream creates sweet music with each gentle flow
Down gently to the sea it flows
Cascade gently towards the vast sea
Melodies bringing me sweet rhythm
These melodies bestow upon me the gift of sweet rhythm
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulaattanasio7526
You must know I love Cab Calloway and I want to hear all the collection that you have of him
@Trombonology
Though Cab was perhaps best known for his hip vocals, often rendered partly in a language he himself developed, he was a highly compelling balladeer, as this atmospheric side attests.
@bryanrendleman2001
Yes.
Also it's nice to hear a man singing in 2nd tenor/baritone range instead of those SOPRANO Irish drawl men they most always recorded.
@benzo4029
Sweet! Doesn't this tune sound like Cab's great band is playing an Ellington band arrangement? Listen to the cascading chords after the vocal. Pure Ellington ! Cab had just took his band into the famous Harlem Cotton Club following the Duke's departure, so this seems a transitional chart to keep the Duke's jungle rhythm sound going ... something the public had come to expect from the famous Cotton Club! I love Cab and this transitional take is gold! Must be pre-Minnie the Moocher, which gave Cab his definitive sound.
@williamschoemann4209
So very young. I've always loved Cab.