Cab Calloway & The Nicholas Brothers: Jumpin' Jive

Born on Christmas Day 1907 in Rochester, New York, bandleader Cab Calloway enjoyed a brilliant career that spanned the 1920s to the 1990s. He made his name at the helm of the Cab Calloway Orchestra between 1930-1948, a period that included a four-residency at the Cotton Club. At various times his swing orchestra included musicians of the caliber of Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Milt Hinton, Doc Cheatham and Dizzy Gillespie—the latter who was fired from the band for stabbing Calloway in the backside during an onstage argument. The pair later reconciled and Gillespie would phone Calloway on Christmas Day every year to play "Happy Birthday" on his trumpet.

As a singer, Calloway was from a similar mould to Louis Jordan—his performances were never less than fully committed. In his autobiography, Of Minnie The Moocher And Me (Crowell, 1976), he wrote: "If you don't believe in what you're singing, nobody out front is going to believe it either." He was also a formidable scatter—little wonder considering he learned the craft from none other than Louis Armstrong.

A taster of Calloway's scatting skills can be appreciated in this exhilarating performance of "Jumpin' Jive" from the film Stormy Weather (20th Century Fox, 1943). So too, the mighty swing and verve of the Cab Calloway Orchestra.

But it is the Nicholas Brothers (Harold and Fayard) and their famous dance routine—a blend of dazzling tap and scarcely believable acrobatics—that steal the show. We recommend that you do not try this at home—especially if you have just had your Christmas dinner.