Trav'lin' Light

Billie Holiday traveled to Los Angeles to appear with Lee and Lester Young's band at the Trouville Club on June 1, 1942. While in town, her friend Trummy Young (who was also in Los Angeles with Jimmie Lunceford's band) convinced her to come to the studio to record a song he had written for Paul Whiteman's Orchestra. She was reportedly paid $75 for the one-song Capitol Records recording session. Due to the fact that she was under contract with Columbia Records at the time, the single release credited "Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, Vocal by Lady Day." Capitol Records had just been formed earlier that year by Buddy DeSylva, Glenn E. Wallichs, and Johnny Mercer, the lyricist of the Trav'lin' Light. This fabulous Jimmy Mundy arrangement is both a vocal and trombone feature; however, for time reasons the original introduction and first A section of the trombone chorus were cut from the recording session. This publication presents the complete, un-cut arrangement and may be played as-written or as-recorded. The session featured three violins. While we certainly encourage that this arrangement be played with strings, these parts are not essential and may be eliminated if violinists are not available. Both alto saxophones double clarinet, tenor saxophones and baritone saxophone all double bass clarinet; however, alternate saxophone parts are included in the event that these woodwind doubles are not available. This publication was prepared from the original set of parts used during the recording session, this is not a transcription.