“Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good To You” | Stories of Standards

Don Redman composed, “Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good To You” as the roaring twenties drew to a close. 

The first recording, featuring McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, was produced in 1929—just one week after the stock market crash that marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

Andy Razaf’s lyrics reflect the consumer-driven culture of the time, using expensive presents to illustrate the depth of the narrator’s sentiments.

Originally, the lyrics read, “Bought you a fur coat for Christmas/ Diamond ring/ Big Packard coupe and everything.” The words were later changed to “Big Cadillac car” after Packard went out of business.

Redman developed a soft-spoken singing style while performing with McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, a technique that suits the dreamy melody in “Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good To You.”

Over a decade lapsed before another major jazz artist recorded, “Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good To You.” Chu Berry’s 1941 rendition, featuring Hot Lips Page on vocals, garnered attention for the song. However, it was not until Nat King Cole’s 1943 recording that “Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good To You” turn into a hit, topping the R&B charts the following year.

Around the same time, Count Basie adopted the song as a favorite, using it to showcase vocalists including Jimmy Rushing, Joe Williams, and Mary Stallings.

Though Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakely, and Paul Bley also recorded the tune, “Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good To You” remains a favorite among more traditional jazz players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnYnpApOkQg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KwfNeRnMjI

Sources: JazzStandards.com; The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire, by Ted Gioia