Friday, August 12, 2011

All God's Chillun Got Rhythm



The old Negro Spiritual "All God's Chillun Got Wings" aka "I Got a Robe" inspired the 1930s jazz standard, "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm." The composer, a European musician living in the US, used the melody for "All God's Chillun Got Wings" while writing the song specifically for Ivie Anderson, an African-American vocalist who had worked for Duke Ellington. It's quite ironic that one of the most American of songs was composed by a European...

Here are different versions of "All God's Chillun Got Wings"
Paul Robeson


African-American opera singer Marion Anderson


"I Got Shoes" is another title for the song


Here are various jazz versions of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm"

Bud Powell

Sonny Stitt 

Judy Garland vocal version

Ivie Anderson

Gypsy jazz interpretation

Duke Ellington version

Thelonious Monk

Art Tatum

Tony Bennett

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