Anyone Care To Jitterbug?

Clockwise: Betty Hutton; Bette Midler; Judy Garland; and The Puppini Sisters.

While Saturday nights are often reserved for my favorite torch singers allowing the candle to burn bright, I thought tonight might be a great time to fight off the cold and snow in the Northeast with some excitement, a chance to create great energy. So I decided I would find some great songs that would drive you from your seats, wanting to hit the floor and do the jitterbug. Or at least some variation on that theme. And I will being with the song that really inspired me to plan this post, Betty Hutton singing "Old Man Mose". In 1939, Hutton recorded the song with Vincent Lopez Orchestra. The song was written by the legendary Louis Armstrong and Zilner Randolph.

Well, if I didn't include the Divine Miss M in this collection of jitterbugs, but I have to admit I wasn't sure which one to choose, so after googling "the top jitterbug songs", I had to go with the one making the list first. That would be written by Joe Garland, Glenn Miller, and Andy Razaf, first released in 1939 by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. I love the recording by Bette, off her 1973 second album, 'Bette Midler', making that recording 40 years old! Please enjoy as Midler sings "In The Mood".

I first have to say that The Puppini Sisters are neither sisters nor Puppinis, just they make exquisite harmonies that sound as if they've been singing together for a lifetime. Okay, so there is one Puppini among the trio. The groups is made up of Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien and Kate Mullins, who took the name as a tribute to the great Andrews Sisters, an inspiration for them and the music. The song was written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince, and first released by the Andrews Sisters in 1941.

The Puppini Sisters sing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"

Judy Garland sing "Stompin' At The Savoy", a 1934 jazz standard composed by Edgar Sampson. After being a hit instrumental, lyrics were written by Andy Razaf, and soon the song was being sung by some of the best. On this 1936 recording, Judy sang with the Bob Crosby Orchestra.