Things Ain't What They Used to Be explained

"Things Ain't What They Used to Be" is a 1942 jazz standard with music by Mercer Ellington and lyrics by Ted Persons.

Background

In 1941 there was a strike against the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, of which Duke Ellington was a member. Because of the strike he could not air his songs on the radio. Instead, he used songs written by his son Mercer and pianist Billy Strayhorn.^[1] Strayhorn's compositions of this time include "Take the 'A' Train", "Chelsea Bridge" and "Day Dream". Mercer wrote "Things Ain't What They Used to Be", "Blue Serge" and "Moon Mist".^[2]

Jazz musician and historian Chris Tyle argues that most likely Mercer Ellington came up with the melody and his father then arranged the song for the band.^[2] The song is most often played as an instrumental. Lyrics were written by Ted Persons. Johnny Hodges played it first, in Hollywood on July 3, 1941.

Other versions

• Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra (1942). This version went to number eight on the Harlem Hit Parade chart.^[3]
• Duke Ellington – Piano Reflections (1953)
• Dave Brubeck– Newport 1958 (1958)
• Duke Ellington and Ray Brown – This One's for Blanton (1972)
• Charles Mingus – Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife (1959)
• Oscar Peterson with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis – Oscar Peterson Jam/Montreux 77 (1977)
• Gene Harris – Live at Town Hall (1989)
• Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass - Brassy and Sassy (1992)
• Dave Grusin - Homage to Duke (1993)
• Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette - Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note (1994)
• Jacky Terrasson - Alive (1998)^[4]

Popular culture

• Duke Ellington played it for the film Cabin in the Sky (1943).
• An instrumental version was frequently played as the closing music for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson by The Tonight Show Band under the direction of Doc Severinsen.
• In the beginning of Soul, Joe Gardner leads his middle school jazz band in a poorly performed rendition of the piece.

Notes and References

1. Book: Gioia . Ted . The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire . 2012 . Oxford University Press . New York City . 978-0-19-993739-4 . 432–434.
2. http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-0/thingsaintwhattheyusedtobe.htm "Things Ain't What They Used to Be"
3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 47.
4. Web site: www.allmusic.com. www.allmusic.com. June 23, 2024.