Ain't Misbehavin'

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is an American jazz standard from 1929, composed by Fats Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Written for the musical revue Hot Chocolates, the song quickly became one of the defining standards of early jazz and swing.

Django Reinhardt recorded Ain’t Misbehavin’ on 22 April 1937 in Paris with the Quintette du Hot Club de France. The recording features Stéphane Grappelli on violin, Django on solo guitar, Pierre “Baro” Ferret and Marcel Bianchi on rhythm guitars, and Louis Vola on double bass. Their instrumental version transforms the American standard into the characteristic acoustic swing language of the Hot Club.

Musical character:
Ain’t Misbehavin’ combines a relaxed, memorable melody with elegant jazz harmony and a strong swing pulse. The tune works particularly well at a moderate tempo, leaving plenty of room for melodic improvisation, rhythmic variation, and interaction between soloists.

Connection to Manouche Jazz:
The connection is direct through Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli’s 1937 recording. It is a perfect example of how the Hot Club musicians absorbed American jazz standards and reshaped them for violin, acoustic guitars, and double bass. The tune has remained a natural part of traditional jazz and Gypsy Swing repertoire ever since.

Interesting facts:

• The music was written by Fats Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf.
• The song was written in 1929 for the Harlem musical revue Hot Chocolates.
• The revue began at Connie’s Inn in Harlem before moving to Broadway’s Hudson Theatre.
• Louis Armstrong became closely associated with the song during the Broadway production, where his trumpet performance became one of the highlights of the show.
• Fats Waller made his own celebrated solo-piano recording of the composition in 1929.
• The song became extraordinarily popular almost immediately, with several successful recordings appearing during its first year.
• Django Reinhardt recorded it in Paris on 22 April 1937; the original recording carries matrix number 0LA 1708-1.
• The Library of Congress later included Fats Waller’s 1929 recording in the National Recording Registry.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is one of the great meeting points between early American jazz and European swing. From Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong in New York to Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli in Paris, the tune travelled quickly across the Atlantic and became part of the shared language of jazz.