She began as a Broadway musical actress, starring in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949, and Hello, Dolly! in 1964, when she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She revived both roles several times throughout her career, most recently playing Dolly in 1995. Channing was nominated for her first Tony Award in 1956 for The Vamp followed by a nomination in 1961 for Show Girl. She received her fourth Tony Award nomination for the musical Lorelei in 1974.
As a film actress, she won the Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Her other film appearances include The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) and Skidoo (1968). On television, she appeared as an entertainer on variety shows, from The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s to Hollywood Squares. She had a standout performance as The White Queen in the TV production of Alice in Wonderland (1985), and had the first of many TV specials in 1966, An Evening with Carol Channing.
Channing was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981 and received a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1995. She continued to perform and make appearances well into her 90s, singing songs from her repertoire and sharing stories with fans, cabaret style. She released an autobiography, titled Just Lucky I Guess, in 2002, and Larger Than Life, a documentary film about her career, was released in 2012.
Discography
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Columbia Records, 1950
Show Girl, 1961
Hello, Dolly!, RCA Records, 1964
Lorelei, Decca Records, 1974
Hello, Dolly!, 1994
Additional albums:
Archy And Mehitabel - A Back-Alley Opera (with Eddie Bracken), 1954
Carol Channing, Vanguard Records, 1961
Carol Channing Reads Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Caedmon Records, 1962
Carol Channing Entertains, Command Records, 1965
Carol Channing Reads Madeleine, Caedmon Records, 1970s
C and W (with Webb Pierce), Plantation Records, 1976
Carol Channing and Her Country Friends (guest appearances by Jimmy C. Newman, Hank Locklin, and others), Plantation Records, 1977
Carol Channing on Tour, 51 West Records, 1980
Jazz Baby, DRG Records. 1994
Just Lucky, I Guess: A Memoir of Sorts, Audiobook, 2003
For Heaven's Sake, New Day Records, 2010
True To The Red, White, and Blue, Homesick Entertainment, 2012
Jazz Baby
Carol Channing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mommy was a rag-time cabaret-er
They met one day at a tango tea
There was a syncopated wedding
And then came me
Folks think the way I walk is a fad
But it's a birthday present from my mommy and dad-dy
I'm a jazz baby, little jazz baby, that's me
There's something in the tone of a saxophone
That makes me do a little wiggle all my own
'Cause I'm a jazz baby
Full of jazz-bo harmony
That "Walk The Dog" and "Ball The Jack" that caused all the talk
Is just a copy of the way I naturally walk
'Cause I'm a jazz baby, little jazz baby that's me
Rock to sleep while the cradle went to and fro
To and fro to the tune of the tickle-toe
Ever since I started into grow
Love to hear the music playing, see my dear old mammy swayin'
Razz-ma-tazz, that's all I ever knew
All day long I never would get through
Jazz-ma-tazz, that's all I want to do
So play me a little jazz
Jazz baby, full of jazz-bo harmony
The wailin' of the saxes when those fellas go mad
Cannot compare with what I got from mommy and dad
So hear this jazz baby
Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah
Little jazz
Baby, that's me
The song “Jazz Baby” by Carol Channing is a playful and jazzy tune that describes herself as a “jazz baby”. The lyrics tell the story of her musical upbringing - her dad was a rag-time trombone player while her mom was a rag-time cabaret-er. The two met at a tango tea and had a syncopated wedding, which led to the birth of Channing. She describes how her family’s love for music has influenced her, even the way she walks.
Channing’s love for jazz is evident as she talks about how the saxophone tone makes her do a little wiggle of her own. She takes pride in being a jazz baby and in her natural way of walking, which some may see as a fad but she sees it as a birthday present from her parents. Channing's jazz-filled upbringing has shaped her into a jazz baby, who is full of jazz-bo harmony and enjoys hearing music playing, seeing her dear old mammy sway, and feeling the tickle-toe beat of the music rocking her to sleep.
Overall, “Jazz Baby” is a feel-good tune that celebrates the influence of jazz. Carol Channing's melodic voice, combined with the lyrics, creates a pleasing sound that conjures up images of a joyful and carefree time in history when jazz was king.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy was a rag-time trombone player
My father played the trombone in the style of ragtime music
My mommy was a rag-time cabaret-er
My mother performed in cabarets that featured ragtime songs
They met one day at a tango tea
They were introduced to each other at a tea party where people danced the tango
There was a syncopated wedding
Their wedding had music with rhythms that emphasize notes at unexpected intervals
And then came me
After their marriage, I was born
Folks think the way I walk is a fad
People believe my unique walking style is only a passing trend
But it's a birthday present from my mommy and dad-dy
In reality, my parents gifted me this walking style as a birthday gift
I'm a jazz baby, little jazz baby, that's me
I am a baby who loves and belongs to the world of jazz music
There's something in the tone of a saxophone
The sound of a saxophone possesses an inexplicable quality
That makes me do a little wiggle all my own
When I hear the saxophone, it moves me to perform a spontaneous dance
'Cause I'm a jazz baby
It happens because I have an inherent attraction to jazz music
Full of jazz-bo harmony
This affinity fills me with the essence of jazz music that blends different elements in harmony
That "Walk The Dog" and "Ball The Jack" that caused all the talk
The popular dances 'Walk The Dog' and 'Ball The Jack' are inspired by the way I walk
Is just a copy of the way I naturally walk
In other words, those dances mimic my original style of walking
Rock to sleep while the cradle went to and fro
As a baby, I fell asleep in a cradle that gently rocked back and forth
To and fro to the tune of the tickle-toe
The melody of Jazz music accompanied the cradle's movement
Ever since I started into grow
Since I began to grow up,
Love to hear the music playing, see my dear old mammy swayin'
I enjoy listening to Jazz music and watching my mother dance gracefully to it
Razz-ma-tazz, that's all I ever knew
Jazz music and rhythm is all I have ever known
All day long I never would get through
I can listen to Jazz music for the entire day without getting bored
Jazz-ma-tazz, that's all I want to do
The only thing I desire to do is to get lost in the world of Jazz music
So play me a little jazz
On that note, please play some Jazz music for me
Jazz baby, full of jazz-bo harmony
I am a Jazz baby who possesses the blend of different elements in the Jazz genre in perfect harmony
The wailin' of the saxes when those fellas go mad
The sound of the saxophones when played by enthusiastic musicians is incredibly beautiful
Cannot compare with what I got from mommy and dad
However, it still can't compare to the beautiful gift of music that my parents bestowed upon me
So hear this jazz baby
So listen to what this Jazz baby has to say
Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah
(melodic jazz sounds)
Little jazz baby, that's me
I am the little jazz baby with all my heart in Jazz music
Contributed by Sadie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.