And the Angels Sing is a 1939 swing tune composed by Ziggy Elman with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, arranged by Abe Osser. It grew out of Elman’s earlier instrumental Fralich in Swing (1938), which was based on the klezmer wedding dance Der Shtiller Bulgar. Benny Goodman and His Orchestra recorded the song for Victor in New York on February 1, 1939, with Martha Tilton on vocals and Ziggy Elman on trumpet; the first chorus features Tilton, the second Elman. Mercer wrote the English lyrics after a Camel Caravan rehearsal, and Osser crafted the arrangement that helped the record become a #1 hit; it was Goodman’s largest selling Victor record. Although Goodman did not perform on the recording, the track showcases the band’s swinging brass and Elman’s klezmer-inflected trumpet style, and it was released as a single on Victor in 1939, later appearing on various swing-era compilations.
