"Flamingo" (1940) is a popular song and

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...

written by

Ted Grouya Ted Grouya (31 July 1910 – 14 April 2000) born Teodor Gruia in Bucharest, Romania, was a Romanian-American composer who studied composition with Nadia Boulanger. He wrote the jazz standard "Flamingo" (1940), first recorded by Herb Jeffries an ...

with lyrics by Edmund Anderson and first recorded by singer

Herb Jeffries Herb Jeffries (born Umberto Alexander Valentino; September 24, 1913 – May 25, 2014) was an American actor of film and television and popular music and jazz singer-songwriter, known for his baritone voice. He starred in several low-budget "ra ...

and the

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Orchestra on December 28, 1940, for Victor Records (catalog No. 27326B). This briefly reached the Billboard charts in 1941.

Versions that charted in the U.S.

and his Famous Orchestra, vocal refrain by

. Victor 27326. Charted number 13 in 1941. *

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April25, 1913October28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing music, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, whi ...

and his Orchestra. King 4475. Charted number 1, R&B in 1951. * The Gaylords (American vocal group). As "Flamingo L'Amore." Mercury 71369. Charted number 98, Pop in 1958. *

Little Willie John William Edward "Little Willie" John (November 15, 1937 – May 26, 1968) was an American R&B singer who performed in the 1950s and early 1960s. He is best known for his successes on the record charts, with songs such as " All Around the World" ...

. King 5503. Charted number 17, R&B in 1961. *

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...

& the Tijuana Brass. A&M 813. Charted number 28, Pop and number 5, Easy Listening in 1966.

Other notable versions

Bob Crosby George Robert Crosby (August 23, 1913 – March 9, 1993) was an American jazz singer and bandleader, best known for his group the Bob-Cats, which formed around 1935. The Bob-Cats were a New Orleans Dixieland-style jazz octet. He was the younge ...

and His Orchestra - recorded for Decca Records (catalog No. 3752A) on March 28, 1941. * Tony Martin - recorded for Decca Records (catalog No. 3857A) on May 29, 1941. *

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, ...

and His Orchestra (vocal by Dan Grissom) - recorded for Decca Records (catalog No. 3931A) on June 23, 1941. *Arild Andresen, piano with guitar and bass recorded it in Oslo on March 11, 1955 as the third melody of the medley "Klaver-Cocktail Nr. 3" along with "

Sophisticated Lady "Sophisticated Lady" is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington. Background Additional credit is given to publisher Irving Mills whose words were added to the song by Mitchell Parish. The words met with approval f ...

" and " With a Song in My Heart". The medley was released on the

78 rpm record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The gr ...

His Master's Voice A.L. 3514. * Bobby Jaspar with

Blossom Dearie Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She had a recognizably light and girlish voice. Profile at AllMusic/ref> Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City ov ...

at the piano recorded at the Barclay EP No. 74 017 in Paris (1956)

External links

"Flamingo" at Jazz Standards

References

1940 songs 1940s jazz standards Herb Alpert songs Carmen McRae songs Caterina Valente songs Songs about birds {{1940s-jazz-composition-stub