Origin:

Debuted on the album The Whistler & His Guitar.

Style:

Waltz, usually played at a medium-up tempo.

Form:

A-B-C (24 Bars) [8-8-8]

Arrangements:

The  head is often played twice on the way in and out. Performances  sometimes begin/end with a vamp revolving around I7#9 - bII7#9.

Key:

Bb Major

Harmony/Overview:

The  harmony of this composition is very functional, and is made up of  mostly II - V - I's. The A section begins similarly to a 'Bird Blues',  starting on IMaj7 before a mi II - V of VI leads to a III - VI - II - V  of IV. The B section begins on IVMaj7 proceeds to modulate downwards in  whole-steps with II - V's. The C section begins on bIIMaj7 and uses a II  - V in the home key to set up the final turnaround of the form. The  last 4 bars can simply be treated as a III - VI - II - V of sorts,  although it is commonly approached as IIImi7 - bIII7 - IImi7 - V7  (tri-tone substitution). The melody has an almost nursery-rhyme like  quality that maintains a similar contour throughout the entire piece.

Recordings:

This  song has been recorded over 180 times to date, and was first introduced  on Toots Thielemans album The Whistler & His Guitar as an  instrumental. Norman Gimbel would soon after add lyrics to the  composition and it would go on to be recorded by some of the most  prolific vocalists of the era, from the likes of Sarah Vaughan, Ella  Fitzgerald, and Anita O'Day to name a few. It continues to be performed  to this day and remains as one of the most popular waltzes in the  repertoire.

JGC Top Picks:

Sarah Vaughan, 1964

Bill Evans, The Sesjun Radio Shows, 1979

Hank Jones, Bluesette, 1979