MOOD INDIGO 

No survey of the era would be complete without one sublime creation from Duke Ellington. Written by Duke himself with favourite clarinetist Barney Bigard, the 1930 song was first called “Dreamy Blues” and became an anthem for those who preferred their romantic interludes at home, far from the high-ceilinged nightclubs depicted in lush MGM musicals. The Ellington blend is suggested by vocals and highlighted by the Hawaiian-style slide guitar of Montreal’s amazingly versatile Jordan Officer, who improvises brightly against a dark-sounding Brazilian 7-string guitar.

Lyrics

 

You ain't been blue. No, no, no. You ain't been blue,
Till you've had that mood indigo. That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
While I sit and sigh, "Go 'long blues".

Always get that mood indigo, Since my baby said goodbye.
In the evenin' when lights are low, I'm so lonesome I could cry.

'Cause there's nobody who cares about me,
I'm just a soul who's bluer than blue can be.
When I get that mood indigo, I could lay me down and die