That's a Plenty

For the Pointer Sisters album named after this tune, see That's a Plenty (Pointer Sisters album).
"That's a Plenty"
Song
Published 1914
Form Ragtime
Composer Lew Pollack
Lyricist Ray Gilbert

"That's a Plenty" is a 1914 ragtime piano piece composed by Lew Pollack. Lyrics by Ray Gilbert (born 1912) were added decades later. A number of popular vocal versions have been recorded, but the tune remains more performed as an instrumental.

The composition started out as a rag, but is nowadays played as a part of the Dixieland jazz repertoire.[1] The song has been recorded by numerous artists, and it is considered a jazz standard.[2] The first recording was in 1917 by Prince's Band, and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings recorded their rendition in 1923.[3] Television comedian Jackie Gleason used it in his shows in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]

Among the hundreds of later recordings of this standard, particularly notable versions include:

Freddy Martin and His Orchestra recorded a version of "That's A Plenty" in 1950. Sheet music from the 1950 version featuring Freddy Martin on the cover has the lyrics printed inside.

It was recorded by Albert Nicholas, clarinet, with The Big Chief Jazz Band in Oslo on August 29, 1955. Released on the 78 rpm record Philips P 53038.

The Pollack and Gilbert song is not to be confused with a 1909 song of the same name by Henry Creamer and Bert Williams.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 David A. Jasen. Ragtime: An Encyclopedia. CRC Press, 2007. ISBN 0-415-97862-9. p. 252
  2. ↑ That's a Plenty at jazzstandards.com - retrieved on 18 May 2009
  3. ↑ Crawford, Richard; Magee, Jeffrey (1992). Jazz Standards on Record, 1900–1942: A Core Repertory. Center for Black Music Rsrch. p. 82. ISBN 0-929911-03-2.

See also

External links