Composed by Edgar Samson and Benny Goodman, lyrics by Mitchell Parish, arranged by Edgar Samson
Our cover of composer/arranger Edgar Samson's Don't Be That Way most closely resembles his arrangement of it for Goodman and his Orchestra, recorded on February 16, 1938, New York.
Harry James, Ziggy Elman, Gordon Griffin (tp); Red Ballard, Vernon Brown (tb); Benny Goodman (cl, cond); Hymie Schertzer, George Koenig (as); Arthur Rollini, Babe Russin (ts); Jess Stacy (p); Allan Reuss (g); Harry Goodman (b); Gene Krupa (d); Edgar Samson (arr). First issued on Victor 25792.
This studio recording followed on the heels of the famous 1938 Carnegie Hall performance a month earlier that brought the house down (the first time a jazz contingent played the hallowed home of classical music) on On January 16, 1938.
From Irving Kolodin's liner notes:
Samson, a one-time tenor man who became a composer and arranger--Stompin' At The Savoy and When Dreams Come True are also his--wrote this piece for the Chick Webb band when he was playing with it. However, it was all but new to the jazz world when it made its appearance in this reorchestration. After an ensemble chorus, there are solos by Goodman (clarinet) and Russin (tenor sax), with the evening's first big burst of applause as Harry James rises to take his solo. Krupa's explosive break arouses a response to make what preceded a mere ripple. The trombone bit that follows is Vernon Brown.
See also Mike Thibault's song spotlight for more versions of this tune.
