That's it from marlbank for 2021. All that's left to ask is 'What are You Doing New Year's Eve?' The Frank Loesser song was first recorded in 1947 by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra and later in the year by Margaret Whiting. Ella Fitzgerald from this distance probably did the best-known version recording the song in 1960 followed by Nancy Wilson in 1963 as did Patti LaBelle the same year. Lena Horne, Lou Rawls riffing on 'Auld Lang Syne' in his very groovy, ultra swinging horn-soaked treatment and Johnny Mathis all followed in their footsteps before the end of the decade was through.
In more recent years Diana Krall did a wonderfully subtle treatment with the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra back in 2005 as did Clare Teal in 2013 with the late Pee Wee Ellis. Let's go with that last version, audio, top, in a very fine and mellow arrangement partly in memory of Pee Wee who died at the age of 80 back in September.
- Clare Teal is performing with Ian Shaw (who also sees in the New Year at the Vortex tonight) in a great double act billing coming up in London's Pizza Express Jazz Club on 27 January
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