Stompin' at the Savoy

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"Stompin' at the Savoy" is a 1933 jazz standard composed by Edgar Sampson. It is named after the famed Harlem nightspot the Savoy Ballroom in New York City.[1]

History and composition[edit]

Although the song is often credited to Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar Sampson, and Andy Razaf, it was written and arranged by Sampson, Rex Stewart's alto saxophonist. Sampson wrote the song when he was with Stewart's orchestra at the Empire Ballroom in 1933. It was used as the band's theme song until the band broke up, after which Sampson joined Chick Webb's band, taking the song with him.[2] Webb’s recording rose to number ten on the charts in 1934. Two years later, the piece charted with versions by Ozzie Nelson and Benny Goodman.

Both Webb and Benny Goodman recorded it as an instrumental, Goodman's being the bigger hit.[1] Lyrics were added by lyricist Andy Razaf.[3] Goodman's 1936 version is written in 32-bar song form with four 8-bar phrases arranged AABA. The A sections use a Db6, Ab9, Db6, Ddim, Ebm7, Ab7, Db, Db chord sequence. The B section phrases use a Gb9/G9, Gb9, B13/F#m6, B13, E9/F9, E9, A13, Ab13 chord sequence. The tempo is medium fast.

Since becoming a jazz standard, the song has been recorded hundreds of times.

In 1992, Beverly M. Sawyer wrote a scenario from song Stompin' at the Savoy. American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director and producer Debbie Allen thus directed a 2 hour movie starring Vanessa Williams, Lynn Whitfield, Jasmine Guy and Vanessa Bell Calloway.The plot revolves around four young African-american women, who, in 1939 share an apartment. All three women frequent the happening Savoy Ballroom in New York City. Debbie Allen has a small role as a prostitute named Estelle. It was first broadcast on US television channel on CBS and again on NBC in 2018. It was distributed on VHS by CIC Victor Video in Japan in 1993. Choreographer Norma Miller was nominated for an Emmy award that year for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Choreography.

Various versions[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Wilson, Jeremy. "Stompin' at the Savoy". JazzStandards.com. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  2. ^ McGee, Earl, "Neither Benny Nor Chuck Wrote Savoy?", DownBeat 4: 4, p. 21 (April 1937).
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 405–407. ISBN 978-0-19-993739-4.
  4. ^ Harrison et al, p. 1.
  5. ^ Harrison et al, p. 160.
  6. ^ Harrison et al, p. 282.
  7. ^ "Stompin at the Savoy - Tony Glausi, Lucas Pino, Julius Rodriguez, Dan Chmielinski, Bryan Carter". YouTube. 22 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 22 August 2020.

References[edit]

  • Harrison, Max; Fox, Charles; Thacker, Eric; Nicholson, Stuart (2000). The Essential Jazz Records: Modernism to Postmodernism. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-7201-1822-3.

External links[edit]