"Caldonia" is a

jump blues Jump blues is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues was renewed in the 1990s as ...

song, first recorded in 1945 by

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as " the King of the Jukebox", he earned his high ...

and his

Tympany Five Tympany Five was a successful and influential American rhythm and blues and jazz dance band founded by Louis Jordan in 1938. The group was composed of a horn section of three to five different pieces and also drums, double bass, guitar a ...

. Although credited to Fleecie Moore, his wife at the time, Jordan is the actual songwriter. The song was a hit for Jordan as well as several other musicians.

Louis Jordan recording

"It's rooted in jazz," writes music journalist John Morrison, "The energy is very much rock and roll. And you can even hear the future of what would become rap music and hip-hop along with the beat of rock and roll." The lyrics include Jordan's trademark use of comedy: The verses conclude with the refrain: In 1942, Jordan began an unparalleled successful run on the ''Billboard'' Harlem Hit Parade (forerunner of the R&B chart). By 1945, Jordan had four number-one hits and eventually became the most successful R&B chart act of the 1940s. "Caldonia" became his fifth number one on "Race Records" chart. It debuted on the chart in May 1945 and reached number one in June, where it stayed for seven weeks; on ''Billboard''s broader chart, the song peaked at number six. Jordan performed the song in two films:

Swing Parade of 1946 ''Swing Parade of 1946'' is a 1946 musical comedy film directed by Phil Karlson and released by Monogram Pictures. The film features Gale Storm, Phil Regan, and The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard), Edward Brophy and music ...

, probably targeting white viewers and

Caldonia "Caldonia" is a jump blues song, first recorded in 1945 by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five. Although credited to Fleecie Moore, his wife at the time, Jordan is the actual songwriter. The song was a hit for Jordan as well as several other musici ...

(Astor Pictures, 1945) which appeared to be for a black audience.

Renditions by other artists

At the same time as Jordan's success, the song was also recorded both by

Erskine Hawkins Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (July 26, 1914 – November 11, 1993) was an American trumpeter and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is best remembered for composing the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction" (1 ...

and

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

. A review in ''Billboard'' magazine described Hawkins' version as "right rhythmic rock and roll music", possibly the first use of the term to describe a musical style. Hawkins' version of "Caldonia", featuring piano and vocals by Ace Harris, reached number two on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 12 on the pop chart. Herman's version, arranged by the young

Neal Hefti Neal Paul Hefti (October 29, 1922 – October 11, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. He wrote music for '' The Odd Couple'' movie and TV series and for the ''Batman'' TV series. He began arranging professionally in his ...

, reached number two on the broader chart. In 1949, a version by

Sugar Chile Robinson Frank Isaac Robinson (born December 28, 1938), known in his early musical career as Sugar Chile Robinson, is an American jazz pianist and singer. A Detroit native, Robinson became famous as a child prodigy in the mid-1940s. Biography Robinson wa ...

reached number 14 on the R&B chart. Later,

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...

recorded the song, with an arrangement by

Sammy Lowe Sammy Lowe (May 14, 1918, Birmingham, Alabama – February 17, 1993, Birmingham) was an American trumpeter, arranger, and conductor. Career Lowe was active both in jazz and in R&B music, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s. From the 1930s to ...

, as his first release for Smash Records in 1964. It appeared at number 95 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online stream ...

chart (the R&B chart was suspended at the time).

Influence

In 1998, Jordan's version (as "Caldonia Boogie") was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2013, it was added to the U.S.

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...

's list of songs that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States". The recording is considered to be one of the "excellent and commercially successful" examples of the

Jump blues Jump blues is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues was renewed in the 1990s as ...

genre. As well, the song may have been of some influence on the later

Rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

genre.

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

often spoke of being influenced by Louis Jordan; ''Caldonia'' was the first non-gospel song he learned. The shriek on the Jordan record "sounds eerily like the vocal tone Little Richard would adopt" in addition to the "Jordan-style pencil-thin moustache".Music of the Postwar Eram Don Tyler, 2008, page 68
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References

Sources

* {{authority control 1945 songs 1945 singles 1964 singles 1974 singles Louis Jordan songs James Brown songs Blues songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients United States National Recording Registry recordings Decca Records singles