Bli Blip is a song composed by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Sid Kuller.

"Bli Blip" was featured in Ellington's 1941 musical revue Jump for Joy.[1]

It was performed by Marie Bryant and Paul White in a 1942 soundie featuring Ellington and his orchestra produced by Sam Coslow for R.C.M. Productions and directed by Josef Berne.[2] The soundie was released on 5 January 1942.[3]

Ellington and his orchestra made the first recording of "Bli Blip" on 26 September 1941 at the Hollywood Recording Studio in Los Angeles.[4]

John Franceschina, in his 2017 book Duke Ellington's Music for the Theatre, described "Bli Blip" as a "catchy, blues, rhythm number" with a "highly syncopated melody line, filled with skips and scat-like riffs".[1] Franceschina notes that the "arhythmical nature of the melody in which no two bars are exactly alike".[1]

Recordings

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Franceschina 2017, p. 36.
  2. ^ Lawrence, A. H. (2004-03-01). Duke Ellington and His World. Routledge. p. 308. ISBN 978-1-135-88061-3.
  3. ^ "ARSC Journal". Association for Recorded Sound Collections. 19: 139. 1988.
  4. ^ Timner, W. E. (2000-01-01). Ellingtonia. Scarecrow Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-585-04084-4.