Neal Hefti: Lil' Darlin' - Count Basie Orchestra

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Neal Paul Hefti 1922 –2008. 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 teens, when he wrote charts for Nat Towles. He became a prominent composer and arranger while playing trumpet for Woody Herman; while working for Herman he provided new arrangements for "Woodchopper's Ball" and "Blowin' Up a Storm" and composed "The Good Earth" and "Wild Root". After leaving Herman's band in 1946, Hefti concentrated on arranging and composing, although he occasionally led his own bands. He is especially known for his charts for Count Basie such as "Li'l Darlin'" and "Cute".
Li'l Darlin' is a 1957 jazz standard, composed for the Count Basie Orchestra. After lyrics were added by Jon Hendricks, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross recorded it with Basie in 1958. When Basie's orchestra performed it live on the Judy Garland Show in 1959, Mel Torme sang, and Ella Fitzgerald also recorded the song with the orchestra for her 1971 album. It became a favourite of numerous instrumentalists, particularly guitarists such as Joe Pass, Charlie Byrd, George Benson, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell, Howard Alden, George Van Eps and Howard Roberts. Pass performed it live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1979. Vocalist Mark Murphy recorded it in 1961, as did the Hendricks & Company in 1982, and vocalist Kurt Elling in 2001.[ Martin Taylor published his arrangement of the piece in a 2000 issue of Guitar Techniques.
The Basie arrangement without lyrics was often used as the closing theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
'Don't Dream of anyone but - Me Lil' Darling' is the full title of this composition.
The video visits various members of the public in different states of repose, wrapped up in their dreams of palm trees and tropical beaches and of course Lil' Darling is never far away.
'Don't need no palace paved with gold
Don't need more cash than banks can hold
When I get to feelin', a feelin'
For something there ain't too much of
My sweet lil' darlin' gives me her love
Don't catch me chasin' 'round at night
I'm not impressed by glamor sights
Lil' darlin' may not be as pretty
As some other gals you can see
But my lil darlin' only loves me'
Songwriters: Neal Hefti
Lil' Darling - Neal Hefti
Album:-
Atomic Basie FROM Jazz Manifesto
(four classic albums on one CD).
Avid Jazz. AMSC 946

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