For Missy

Got a request today for Ella Fitzgerald & the Ink Spots singing I'm Beginning To See The Light from a cousin that I haven't seen in over a decade if memory serves me correctly.

While my first attempt to dive into the garage didn't locate that particular record, I did come up with a couple of tunes to get by until I do.

I believe that Johnny Hodges, my all time favorite figure in jazz, came up with the riff that I'm Beginning To See The Light is built upon.

Duke Ellington p, dir / Shelton 'Scad' Hemphill, Taft Jordan, Cat Anderson t / Ray Nance t, vn / Tricky Sam Nanton, Claud Jones, Lawrence Brown tb / Jimmy Hamilton cl, ts / Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick as / Al Sears ts / Harry Carney bar, cl, as / Fred Guy g / Alvin Junior Raglin b / Hillard Brown d / Joya Sherrill v.

Recorded in New York on December 1, 1944. (Victor 20-1618)

Next up we have the Ink Spots' biggest hit, The Gypsy. Featuring Bill Kenney, this song stayed on the charts for eighteen weeks...thirteen at number one in 1946. (Decca 18817)

Tony Murena Et Son Ensemble - Odeon 281.694

Here we have a "Slow-Fox" and a "Rumba-Fox" from Italian-born accordion player, Tony Murena, on a French Odeon release.

The Slow Fox is "I'm Beginning To See The Light" which omits writing credit for Johnny Hodges, who if I recall was the principal composer of the tune.

The Rumba Fox is a Brazilian choro song originally written in 1917 but first recorded in 1931.