The jumpin jive is a famous jazzswing composition, written by cab calloway, frank froeba and jack palmer. While studying law, he sang with the band the alabamians, and took over the group in 1928. How cab calloways hepster dictionary introduced the world. The cab calloway jive talk hepster dictionary the art of manliness. Dec 29, 2017 listen to your favorite songs from jumpin jive by cab calloway now. Bandleader, songwriter minnie the moocher, are you hep to that jive. The charismatic bandleader not only had a way with words, his love of them led him to compile a hepsters dictionary of harlem musician slang circa 1938. Like jazz, jive talk was colorful, improvisational and rhythmic.
Cab calloways hepster dictionary, a 1939 glossary of the lingo. Bust your conk on this mess and youll be wailin with the mellows. Scating now, ive told you bout the jumpin jive the jim, jam, jump, the jumpin jive i know you dug this. In order to stay relevant, calloway turned to jive.
Give, baby, give cab calloway jive formation please. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. The case for cab calloway terry teachout, commentary. He released the last edition, the new cab calloways hepsters dictionary. Cabell cab calloway iii december 25, 1907 november 18, 1994 was an american jazz singer, dancer, bandleader and actor. Jive talk is now an everyday part of the english language. He even wrote a book, hepsters dictionary, which sold two million copies. He released several editions until 1944, the last being the new cab calloways hepsters dictionary. Four issues of our national magazine awardwinning quarterly, six amazing brandnew books. Cab calloway biography childhood, life achievements.
Cab publishes the hepsters dictionary, the first known literary collection of harlem slang terminology. In this clip from 1977, the legendary musician cab calloway goes through the meaning of various jive talk words. The jim, jam, jumpin jive, makes you hephep on the mellow side. He was associated with the cotton club in harlem, new york city, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist of the swing era. With this pioneering dictionary, anyone could get hep to the jive. Cab calloway was born in rochester, right on christmas day 1907. Cab performs on broadway, as well as paris and london, in gershwins porgy and bess as sportin life, a character gershwin originally wrote. Cab calloways hepsters dictionary holds the honour of being the first dictionary penned by an africanamerican. In 1944, he published a book called the new cab calloways hepsters dictionary. He appeared in such films as international house and stormy weather. Cab calloway biography life, family, children, wife, school. In 1918, the family moved to maryland, where his mother found work in the local church. Outstanding overview of the best work by one of the greatestmusicians ever. He released several editions until 1944, the last being the new cab calloway s hepsters dictionary.
In the late 1940s, his poor financial decisions and longstanding problems with gambling caused a breakup of his band. Apr 26, jive was a language rooted in slavery, when the need to fog and own your words lest the master understand you was paramount. In 1939, calloway published an accompanying book titled professor cab calloways swingformation bureau, which instructed readers how to apply the words and phrases from the dictionary. Dec 31, 20 below is cab calloways hepsters dictionary. Cab calloways hepster dictionary, a 1939 glossary of the.
Calloway was an energetic singer and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s. Cab calloways hepster dictionary, a 1939 glossary of. Jul 31, 2006 heres a clip from the movie stormy weather 1943 featuring cab calloway and his orchestra performing jumpin jive. This glossary of harlem jive that is thought to be the first dictionary written by. Actual entries from cab calloways hepsters dictionary, revised. Calloway wrote such hits as minnie the moocher and jumpin jive. His big band gained fame at harlems premier night club, the cotton club. Listen to your favorite songs from jumpin jive by cab calloway now. The hepster dictionary was the first dictionary written by an.
Contains 24 swingin tracks, includingminnie the moocher, jumpin jive, summertime andstormy weather. Cab calloway cab calloway lyrics and tracklist genius. Cab calloway 19071994, blues and scat legend, entertained generations of people with his jazzy big band sounds. With cab calloway s hepsters dictionary that language became about understanding and belonging. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Cab calloway and his orchestra became a nationwide sensation with their weekly radio broadcast on nbc and their nationwide tours. Modern jive is a dance style derived from swing, lindy hop, rock and roll, salsa and others, the. Cabs father was a lawyer, and his mother was a teacher and organist. The hepster dictionary was the first dictionary written by. He led the missourians orchestra, then organized and led his own orchestra, playing at hotels, theaters and nightclubs. Actual entries from cab calloways hepsters dictionary, revised 1939 edition. From the time i was small my grandmother, who grew up in harlem, would sing minnie the moocher, his trademark song, to my sister and i, then regale us with stories of nights dancing at the cotton club to the music of cab and his big band. Ayun halliday is an author, homeschooler, and chief primatologist of the east village inky zine.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Cab calloway american composer and singer britannica. The book became the official reference book of jive slang in the new york public library. Dec 11, 2018 in 1944 the new cab calloways hepsters dictionary.
Scating now, ive told you bout the jumpin jive, the jim, jam, jump, the jumpin jive, i know you dug this mellow jive, oh, you dig it on the mellow side. The jim, jam, jumpin jive makes you hephep on the mellow side. Along with his manager, calloway compiled a short pamphlet that translated jive talk for less hip audiences. The language of jive, in which he translated jive language for fans. Language of jive published in 38 or 39, depending on the source, and while i have no evidence to back it up, i like to think calloway made up at least a few of the terms just to fuck with people. Cab later performs with a trio consisting of jonah jones on trumpet, milt hinton on bass, and panama francis on drums. Great story told like i like it, first person, intimate and peppered with personal slang and speaking of, cab wrote and published the cab calloway hepsters dictionary language of jive. Heres the stone bible for you to collar that apple trickeration that will truly get your boots on. Heres a clip from the movie stormy weather 1943 featuring cab calloway and his orchestra performing jumpin jive. Calloway performs the song with his orchestra and the nicholas brothers in the 1943 musical film stormy weather. Jazz musicians like calloway talked jive, a kind of shorthand that turned ordinary conversation into an extended jazzy riff. Language of jive was published, an update of an earlier book in which calloway set about translating jive for fans who might not know, for example, that kicking the gong around was a reference to smoking opium. Dec 15, 2008 jumpin jive cab calloway and the nicholas brothers duration. Even in his golden years, calloway still traveled on the road and performed for his fans.
With this pioneering dictionary, anyone could get hep to. Cab calloways hepster dictionary, a 1939 glossary of the lingo the jive of the harlem renaissance. Jumpin jive by cab calloway on amazon music unlimited. Cab calloway, byname of cabell calloway iii, born december 25, 1907, rochester, new york, u. It featured 200 expressions used by the hep cats when they talk their jive in the clubs on lenox avenue. Calloway records and performs with seven or eight pieces as cab calloway and his cab jivers or cab calloway and his cabaliers. The little book provided hours of harmless fun with readers who had seldom if ever heard harlem street slang spoke in real life, writes biographer alyn shipton. A spirited 22song collection that includes the calloway boogie.
Although calloway is not always associated with the bigband era, he worked with many brilliant musicians who were attracted by the top salaries he was able to pay. He was not the only child in the family, he had a sister older than him for 3 years, her name was blanche. The lingo may be dated, but the arrangements and cab s knowing vocals are still new. He released the last edition, the new cab calloway s hepsters dictionary. How cab calloways hepster dictionary introduced the. A revised version of the book was released with professor cab calloway s swingformation bureau in 1939. Few cinematic cameos have been more galvanizing than cab calloways in the blues brothers. At an age when most people retire and rest on old laurels, calloway kept a full schedule of touring with a band and singing his signature song, minnie the moocher. This is probably the best introduction to cab calloway as anyone could want. Cab popularizes the zoot suit with his performance in stormy weather, one of the first films to feature an allblack cast. Cab calloway biography life, family, children, wife. Jumpin jive cab calloway and the nicholas brothers youtube. Aug 29, 2018 jazz musicians like calloway talked jive, a kind of shorthand that turned ordinary conversation into an extended jazzy riff.
With other hits that included moon glow 1934, the jumpin jive 1939 and blues in the night. Jumpin jive camden by cab calloway 743215358220 cd. Cab tours cuba and experiments with cuban jazz and singing in spanish. In the englishspeaking world, modern jive classes and events are often franchised or. The lingo may be dated, but the arrangements and cabs knowing vocals are still new. Cab calloway was a famous singer and bandleader beginning in the lively era of the 1920s, and he remained active in music throughout his golden years. How cab calloways hepster dictionary introduced the world to. The jim, jam, jump on the jumpin jive makes you like your eggs on the jersey side, hephep. The 1938 dictionary was the work of cab calloway, the influential. Are you in the know, or are you a solid bringerdowner. The little book provided hours of harmless fun with readers who had seldom if ever heard harlem street slang spoke in. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. In 1939, calloway published an accompanying book titled professor cab calloway s swingformation bureau, which instructed readers how to apply the words and phrases from the dictionary. Sep 01, 2007 ive always had a soft spot for cab calloway.
The hepster dictionary was the first dictionary written. Apr 26, 2017 cab calloways hepsters dictionary holds the honour of being the first dictionary penned by an africanamerican. His niche for mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years. In 1939, calloway published an accompanying book titled professor cab calloways swingformation bureau, which instructed readers how to apply the words. In the 1980 film, he plays a janitor who suddenly dons white tie and tails, gets up on stage in front of an admiring group of longhaired rock and soul musicians, and proceeds to steal the show not only from its stars, dan aykroyd and john belushi, but also from james brown, ray charles, and aretha. Jumpin jive cab calloway and the nicholas brothers from stormy weather 1943. A revised version of the book was released with professor cab calloways swingformation bureau in 1939. The book was little more than a slender pamphlet, but one with deep roots. A collection of witty, jumping songs with a band that smokes.