Proms on Four: Battle of the Bands BBC Proms

Tonight, broadcaster and leading jazz singer Clare Teal

transports us back to the heady days of the 1930s and '40s.

In an homage to the famous swing bands,

led by the legendary Duke Ellington and Count Basie,

contemporary band leaders James Pearson and Grant Windsor are

re-imagining one of the Count and the Duke's mythical musical battles.

With a little help from singers Gregory Porter and Vula Malinga

and, of course, from Clare Teal herself, this clash of the titans

culminates in a battle royal finale

in which we will find out who is the winner of the Battle of the Bands.

APPLAUSE

Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to The Royal Albert Hall.

This evening we take you back to a magical time,

a time when big bands reigned supreme at the top of the pop charts

and bands would do battle till the early hours in packed ballrooms.

Tonight, we're going to celebrate

everything that's great about the swing era

and present before your very eyes a battle using the fantastic music

of two giants of the swing and big band world,

Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

So, without further ado, let's meet the musicians assembled before you.

Hand plucked from the glimmering pool of this country's finest jazz talent.

Starting with the engines that drive these music machines

with their precise and articulate punctuation,

it's the rhythm boys scat-scat-scat-doo-doo-dah!

APPLAUSE

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Moving on to the shimmering,

twinkly fairy dust of the big band world, adding glamour

and pizzazz wherever they go, it's the trumpets.

Hit it, fellas!

Come on!

So, we've met the rhythm and we've met the trumpets,

but to make a big band swagger, you need weighty lines

and full-bodied tones.

It's these bad boys who add the gravitas and drama.

Ladies and gents, it's the slide trombones. Well, come on in!

Allow me to introduce to you the musical chameleons of the band.

Debonair and suave, but also quite feisty when necessary,

it's the saxophones. Well, say hello!

Now, ladies and gentlemen,

the diamond-encrusted red and golden threads

that fuse the music together in perfect harmony and rhythm

like a magical and exciting glue, our piano wielding leaders,

in the Ellington corner, with banners of red and white, Duke Grant Windsor!

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

And in the Basie corner, with banners of black and gold,

it's Count James Pearson!

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

OK...

Now, fellas, we're looking for a fair fight, no low punches,

no bribing of dancers, no bad taste...

and no untimely grooves.

I wish you both the best of luck and may the best band win!

Places please for round one, three tunes a side,

Count Pearson to start with Rockin' The Blues, let the battle commence!

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

The Count Pearson band getting off to a fine start with Rockin' The Blues.

Up next, and it's a real floor filler,

as the JazzCotech dancers will demonstrate now.

It's Every Tub!

One, two, three, four!

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

In the Basie camp, Pearson's band are cooking tonight

and with a vocal now from the fabulous

Miss Vula Malinga, there'll be nothing but Blue Skies from now on.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

# Blue skies smiling at me

# Nothing but blue skies

# Do I see

# Bluebirds singing a song

# Nothing but bluebirds all day long

# Never saw the sun shining so bright

# Never saw things going so right

# Noticing the days hurrying by

# When you're in love My, how they fly

# Blue days

# All of them gone

# Nothing but blue skies

# From now on

# Never seen the sun shining so bright

# Noticing the days hurrying by

# Oh, blue days, all of them gone

# Nothing but blue skies

# From now on! #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Vula Malinga!

APPLAUSE

And Blue Skies!

The end of the first Count Pearson offering,

a fine display of swinging tunes. The heat is on.

So let's see what Duke Windsor's boys have to say about it.

MUSIC: "Daybreak Express" By Duke Ellington

BRASS SECTION MIMICS TRAIN HORN

TEMPO SLOWS

LAUGHTER

TRUMPET PLAYS SOLO

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Oh, my, the Daybreak Express has arrived

and on it the Duke Windsor Band, and they mean business. Mm.

Oh, they're dusting off another Wellington chestnut, now.

It's Cotton Tail.

One, two, three.

SAXOPHONE SOLO

CHEERING

SAXOPHONE SOLO

PIANO SOLO

CHEERING

Cotton Tail. And it's fare thee well, land of cotton.

Cotton lisle is out of style.

But jump for joy, Mr Gregory Porter is here with the vocal refrain!

CHEERING

CHEERING

TROMBONE SOLO

# Fare thee well, land of cotton

# Cotton lisle is out of style

# Honey child, jump for joy

# Little Eve, don't you grieve

# All the hounds I do believe

# Have been killed

# Ain't ya thrilled? Jump for joy

# Have you seen pastures groovy?

# Green pastures are just a Technicoloured movie

# When you stomp up to heaven

# And you see old Saint Pete

# Tell that boy

# Jump for joy

# Jump right in

# Give Pete some skin and jump for joy. #

SAXOPHONE SOLO

TRUMPETS JOIN IN

CHEERING

Gregory Porter, Jump For Joy. And didn't we do just that?

A trio of sheer Ellington beauty.

The crowd are wild for Duke Windsor

but there's a noticeable absence of the JazzCotech dancers here.

Count Pearson's rhythm working well for him

but perhaps he can step up on the arranging front. LONE CHEER

All right!

Round two, same again. Three tunes a side.

Count Pearson to start, with 9.20 Special.

PIANO SOLO

SAXOPHONE SOLO

TRUMPET SOLO

SAXOPHONE SOLO

CHEERING

The Pearson Band raising their game with 9.20 Special

but they just can't resist that early riff style of One O'Clock Jump.

SAXOPHONE SOLO

CHEERING

TRUMPET SOLO

CHEERING

The JazzCotech dancers!

Again, the dancers going mad for One O'Clock Jump.

Count Pearson changes tack now, for his final tune of round two

and plays the ballad card, with the beautiful Moon Nocturne.

And to sing it,

well, I'm sorry, I just can't resist.

LAUGHTER

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

SAXOPHONE SOLO

APPLAUSE

# When shadows fall across the moon

# My heart will echo

# Your song of sweet surrender

# Moon nocturne

# When night unfolds another June

# I'll find the thrill of your love

# In every ember

# Moon nocturne

# This night

# Of love

# Is heavenly to me

# The stars shine breathlessly

# So hold me fast

# Till the last

# When dawn descends upon the moon

# Your love will live in my heart

# For I'll remember

# Moon nocturne. #

SAXOPHONE SOLO

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

PIANO BEGINS

MUSIC: "Mood Indigo" by Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

After a terrific trio from the Pearson camp,

Duke Windsor lays down a killing segue,

seamlessly cutting the Count's story

and launching into his own set with Mood Indigo,

he's taking no prisoners.

Now, faster than the turn of the tide,

the Duke changes gear again. Surely this will get the dancers onside?

Come on, JazzCotech, let's go Truckin'.

One, two, one, two, three.

MUSIC: "Truckin'" by Rube Bloom and Ted Koehler

# We had to have something new

# A dance to do up here in Harlem

# So someone started truckin'

# As soon as the news got round

# The folks downtown came up to Harlem

# Saw everybody truckin'

# It didn't take long

# Before the high-hats were doing it Park Avenueing it

# All over town

# You see them scufflin', shufflin' truckin' along

# It spread like a forest blaze

# Became a craze Thanks to Harlem now

# Everybody's truckin'. #

Hey!

Whoo!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Truckin', it's all the rage.

Now, can the Duke sustain this new level of activity

and hold the dancers' attention? Let's find out.

And remember, kids, whenever you cross the road,

always Stomp, Look And Listen.

MUSIC: "Stomp, Look And Listen" by Duke Ellington

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Duke Windsor scores high with round two,

it's neck and neck as we go into round three.

Count Pearson promises a detailed and magnificent arrangement now.

In fact, it could almost be Ellington,

it's Futile Frustration.

MUSIC: "Futile Frustration" by Duke Ellington

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Proving there's a whole lot of meat to get your teeth into

on those dancing bones, Futile Frustration.

But look now, Count Pearson's got the blues,

the Goin' To Chicago blues.

And he's not alone. To tell you all about it,

the divine Mr Gregory Porter.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MUSIC: "Goin' To Chicago Blues" by Count Basie

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# Goin' to Chicago

# Sorry, but I can't take you

# Well, I'm goin' to Chicago

# Sorry, but I can't take you

# There ain't nothin' in Chicago

# That a monkey woman can do

# When you see me comin', baby

# Raise your window high

# Well, when you see me comin', baby

# You'd better raise your window high

# When you see me passin', darlin'

# You'd better hang your head and cry

# Hurry down, sunshine

# See what tomorrow brings

# Hurry down, sunshine

# See what tomorrow brings

# But it may bring sunshine

# Darlin', it may bring rain

# You're so mean and evil

# You do things you ought not do

# Whoa-oa!

# You're so mean and evil

# You do things you ought not do

# And you've got my brand-new money

# Well, I guess I'll have to put up with you

# Whoa! #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Gregory Porter, Goin' To Chicago Blues.

Count Pearson keeps on pulling those rabbits out of his big-band hat.

But now Duke Windsor's coming back with Never No Lament,

AKA Don't Get Around Much Anymore.

Vocal by the delectable Ms Vula Malinga.

APPLAUSE

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# Missed the Saturday dance

# Heard they crowded the floor

# Couldn't bear it without you

# Don't get around much any more

# Though I'd visit the club

# Got as far as the door

# They'd have asked me about you

# Don't get around much any more

# Oh, darling, I guess

# My mind's more at ease

# But nevertheless

# Why stir up memories?

# Been invited on dates

# Might have gone, but what for?

# Awfully different without you

# Don't get around much any more. #

SHE SCATS

# Oh, darling, I guess

# My mind's more at ease

# But nevertheless

# Why stir up memories?

# I've been invited on dates

# I might have gone, but what for?

# Awfully different without you

# Don't get around much any more, yeah

# Been invited on dates

# I might have gone, but what for?

# Awfully different without you

# Don't get around much any more

# No, I don't, no, no more Yeah! #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Vula Malinga!

And the Duke Windsor Band. Don't Get Around Much Any More.

Which is a shame.

Now, the Count started this battle, Rockin' the Blues,

and the Duke ends the fourth round, Rockin' In Rhythm.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The whole place is going crazy now!

It's neck and neck as we go into the final round.

How's the Count going to play this?

Like this. Jumpin' At The Woodside.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MUSIC: Take The A Train by Billy Strayhorn

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The JazzCotech Dancers!

APPLAUSE

Duke Windsor with Take The A Train.

Now, we're almost at the end of the battle.

Do we have a winner?

AUDIENCE SHOUT OUT

You decide after the battle royal. That's when the two bands are going

to slug it out to win this petite swing marathon.

You'll hear singing and cutting contests of the finest order,

not to mention a whole heap of tunes.

This is serious!

Hello!

Cos It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing.)

SHE SCATS

# It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# It don't mean a thing All you gotta do is sing

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Makes no difference if it's sweet or hot

# Give that rhythm everything you've got, oh

# It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah! #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# Flat-foot floogie with a floy-floy

# Flat-foot floogie with a floy-floy

# Flat-foot floogie with a floy-floy

# Floy-floy, floy-floy, floy-floy! #

CHEERING

# It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# It don't mean a thing All you gotta do is sing

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Oh, it makes no difference if it's sweet or high

# Just give the rhythm everything you've got...

-ALL:

-# It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah... #

THEY SCAT

# ..It makes no difference if it's sweet or hot

# Just give the rhythm everything you've got

# It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah,

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah! #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Oh, my goodness. I hope you enjoyed yourselves.

We've had an amazing night. Thanks to Vula Malinga.

CHEERING

To Gregory Porter.

CHEERING

To the JazzCotech dancers.

CHEERING

To Duke Grant Windsor.

CHEERING

And to Count James Pearson. CHEERING

And to all these awesome musicians...

and everyone behind the scenes.

APPLAUSE CONTINUES

And so...do we have a winner?

Is it these guys?

CHEERING

Is it these guys?

CHEERING

The decision has been made.

Drum roll, please.

The winner of the Battle of the Bands Prom 2014 is...

AUDIENCE MEMBERS SHOUT OUT

CHEERING

It's a draw!

Duke Windsor and Count Pearson both victorious!

From me, Clare Teal, and everyone here,

thank you and good night!

MUSIC: "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

ALL: # It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

# Yeah... #