Artie Shaw - Begin the Beguine (rare 1946 version)

Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and actor. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led one of the United States' most popular big bands in the late 1930s through the early 1940s. Though he had numerous hit records, he was perhaps best known for his 1938 recording of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine". Before the release of "Beguine", Shaw and his fledgling band had languished in relative obscurity for over two years. After its release, he became a major pop artist within short order. The record eventually became one of the era's defining recordings. In August 1945 Shaw's contract with RCA ended and he signed with an independent label, Musicraft. He made a few records for Musicraft before the band broke up. All of the recordings for Musicraft from 1946 were staffed by top-notch session musicians. (Excerpts from Wikipedia - Artie Shaw, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artie_Shaw)

Added 22 Apr 2026