DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week #157: He's Pulling His Whiskers

Note: From this week on, DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week will be published here on Swing DJ Resources, since I think this is the perfect home for the series.

The first song I'm featuring here is a tune I've been spinning quite a lot lately!

Hot Lips Page

Oran Thaddeus “Hot Lips” Page (January 27, 1908 – November 4, 1954) was one of the great swing trumpeters and in addition a talented blues vocalist. His premature passing left a large hole in the jazz world; virtually all musicians (no matter their style) loved him.

Page started performing in the 1920s in Texas, playing in Ma Rainey's backup band. During 1928-1931, he was with Walter Page's Blue Devils and then joined Bennie Moten in Kansas City and took part in a brilliant recording session in 1932.

Then, he freelanced in Kansas City and in 1936 was one of the stars in Count Basie‘s orchestra. Shortly before Basie was discovered, Joe Glaser signed Hot Lips Page as a solo artist.

In the late 1930s, he led his own big band and did alright. During 1941-1942, he was one of the top sidemen with Artie Shaw‘s orchestra. After that, he then mainly freelanced throughout the remainder of his career, recording with many all-star groups and always being a welcome fixture at jam sessions.

Source: allmusic

He's Pulling His Whiskers

I really like Hot Lips Page's powerful and sentimental trumpet playing. Also, the melancholic mood is very appealing to me.

Title: He's Pulling His Whiskers
Artist: Hot Lips Page & His Band
Recorded: October 3, 1938
Tempo: 197 bpm
Dance: Balboa, Lindy Hop

Click the link to download the song from: Amazon ･ iTunes

You can find all the songs of the series also on my Spotify playlist.

What do you think about this song? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!