“Struttin’ With Some Barbecue” | Stories of Standards

“Struttin’ with Some Barbecue” was originally composed  in 1927 by Lil Hardin Armstrong as an instrumental piece, with lyrics added by Don Raye in 1941.

Tune in to First Take with Lando and Chavis – weekdays from 6-9 am MT – for Stories of Standards to hear our favorite versions of this song all week long!

This popular song has been recorded more than 600 times.

First recorded in 1927 in F major with a breezy swing, later recordings tend to an arrangement in A flat. Notable covers include those performed Gil Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond, Herbie Hancock, the Marsalis family and Earl Hines.

When filing for divorce, Hardin sued her second husband – Louis Armstrong – for custody of the song. Hardin won, though Armstrong continued to claim ownership for years after.

Lil Hardin (1898 – 1971) moved from Tennessee, where she had been a student at Fisk University, to Chicago, where she applied her musical training in classical and spiritual music to jazz and the blues.

She was playing piano in King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band when she first met Louis Armstrong in 1921.

Hardin proved a skilled promoter, useful after she was on her own and forming Lillian Armstrong and Her Orchestra.

In a life which included skills as pianist, arranger, vocalist, entrepreneur and tailor, she remained active in music to the very end.

Don Raye (1909 – 1989) started life as a vaudeville dancer and wrote some music for his act, but realized by the time he was in his 20s that he could do better writing music than dancing.

Not long afterward he was collaborating with Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin, among others.

During his sojourn in Hollywood writing for movies featuring the Andrews Sisters, he collaborated with Gene DePaul to produce “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” his best known song.

Raye also added lyrics to another Lil Hardin Armstrong song “Just For a Thrill”, recorded by the Ink Spots, Peggy Lee and Ray Charles and Shirley Horn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl-2R_Pb7dk

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