This Year's Kisses

"This Year's Kisses" is a popular song written in 1936 by Irving Berlin for the musical film On the Avenue (1937) and introduced by Alice Faye.^[1] Popular recordings in 1937 were by Benny Goodman, Hal Kemp, Shep Fields and by Teddy Wilson with Billie Holiday. ^[2]

Billie Holiday recorded the song on January 25, 1937, accompanied by Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra (Brunswick 7824), an historic session that marked her first collaboration with tenor saxophonist Lester Young. Benny Goodman (clarinet) also performed on the recording, along with several members of the Count Basie Orchestra, including Buck Clayton on trumpet, Freddie Green on guitar, Walter Page on double bass, and Jo Jones on drums.^[3] Jazz critic Gary Giddins, writes that the song "inaugurated the uncanny bond between Billie and Lester Young, whose tenor saxophone--borrowed from Hammond's favorite orchestra, the Basie band--invariably complements, echoes, spurs, and inspires her in one of the most gratifying, unusual, and far too brief musical collaborations of the past century."^[4]

Lester Young recorded the song again on January 12, 1956, with several musicians from the original 1937 Holiday session, including Teddy Wilson, Freddie Green and Jo Jones, for the album The Jazz Giants '56 on Verve Records.^[5]

Recorded versions[]

Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (vocal by Margaret McCrae) recorded the song on December 30, 1936 (Victor 25505).^[6]
Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra recorded the song on December 28, 1936 for Bluebird Records (no. 6757).^[7]
Billie Holiday w/ Lester Young and Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra (1937)
Hal Kemp & His Orchestra (1937)
Hildegarde w/ Carroll Gibbons and His Boy Friends (1937)
Lester Young w/ Teddy Wilson - The Jazz Giants '56 (1956)
June Christy - The Misty Miss Christy (1956)
Ella Fitzgerald - Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! (1961)
Nina Simone - Let It All Out (1966)

References[]

^ Bergreen, Laurence, As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, Da Capo Press, New York, 1996. ISBN 0306806754
^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 595. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
^ "1937 sessions". Billieholidaysongs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
^ Giddins, Gary, Weather Bird: Jazz at the Dawn of Its Second Century, Oxford University Press, Oxford ; New York, 2004. ISBN 0195304497
^ "The Jazz Giants '56 - Lester Young | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
^ "VICTOR 78rpm numerical listing discography: 25500 - 26000". 78discography.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.

[Bergreen-1] Bergreen, Laurence, As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, Da Capo Press, New York, 1996. ISBN 0306806754

[2] Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 595. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.

[3] "1937 sessions". Billieholidaysongs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[Giddins-4] Giddins, Gary, Weather Bird: Jazz at the Dawn of Its Second Century, Oxford University Press, Oxford ; New York, 2004. ISBN 0195304497

[5] "The Jazz Giants '56 - Lester Young | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[6] "VICTOR 78rpm numerical listing discography: 25500 - 26000". 78discography.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[7] "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.

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