Take The “A†Train
soldier fuzzy naval fallin stumblin crawlin come police captain rapper
say freeze say hand hand key kinda simple come marguarita
friend ask friend bout marguarita say virgin wouldn wanna meet
talk marguarita cause flyer take coast cause want screw driver
speech plenty tequila beach tequila tetete tequila tequila fussin mexican
white russians drink hand walk cuervo marguaritas talk wise cause
distinguish ives speak english say better think fast cause kinda
crazy hear shoot glass give advice go like catch night
train head cisco wanna stick catch york grey hound zone
everybody stylin sippin teas long island black party come halt
cause drink tequila lemon assault tequila tetete tequila tequila wake
morning felt like zombie tequila gold label bomb wake late
wasn feelin great say bicardi party startin walk party start
playin game play top fuzzy quarter bartles come tell chill
brothers take strawberry take mink barely think cause tequila drink
tickle pink music come rock instrumental groupie name oriental groupie
girl jocks wear black drink scotch rock fake marriage honeymoon
zone vagabond blue lagoon everybody word wise girly bottle tequila
sunrise tequila tetete tequila tequila tequila tetete tequila tequila
A polished British big-band take on a swing standard
Ted Heath's recording of "Take the 'A' Train" brings a British big band to one of the defining pieces of American swing. Billy Strayhorn's composition, made famous by Duke Ellington's orchestra, is built around a buoyant melody and a steady forward drive. Heath's version emphasizes crisp ensemble playing: bright brass attacks, tightly coordinated sections and a polished rhythmic feel that gives the familiar tune fresh energy without losing its identity as a jazz standard.
This interpretation appeared on *My Very Good Friends the Bandleaders*, a tribute to influential bandleaders and their signature repertoire, first issued in 1959 in the UK. Heath was one of Britain's best-known postwar bandleaders, and his orchestra often brought a clean, full-bodied sound to American swing material. The choice of Strayhorn's composition makes the album's homage explicit, while also letting Heath's players demonstrate their precision and the breadth of their brass sound.
The Ted Heath recording was not a major chart single, and contemporary reviews of the album are sparse in surviving online sources. Its value lies instead in the band's treatment of a durable standard and in Heath's role in keeping big-band swing prominent for British audiences after the war. The song has been recorded by countless jazz ensembles, so each version is measured against a long tradition. Heath's stands out as a confident orchestral reading, balancing respect for the Ellington-era original with the disciplined, high-impact style of his own orchestra.