Style:

Swing, usually played at brighter tempos.

Form:

A-A-B-A (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Arrangements:

During the head in after the bridge a 4 bar send-off is sometimes used in place of the final A section before the solos begin. Oftentime this arrangement is omitted, with the form treated as simply a 32 bar AABA  instead.

Key:

Bb Major

Harmony/Overview:

This composition is a rhythm changes, based on the the chord progression of  George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". It is unlike many of Ellington's other  compositions in that it is very much in line with the bebop music that was coming to fruition at the time. The last 4 bars of the A sections demonstrate this particularly well, with the melody landing on the b5 of  I7 before a brief melodic sequence centered around chromaticism and passing-tones rounds off the phrase. The bridge does not feature a melody and is instead it is left open to the soloist.

Recordings:

This  song has been recorded hundreds of times and is one of the most popular rhythm changes in the repertoire. It was first recorded by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra in 1940, and he would continue to perform  and record it throughout his career. Ben Webster's solo from the original recording would become so iconic that he would often paraphrase  it nearly entirely whenever the band would perform the tune. Jon  Hendricks later added lyrics to not only the melody, but also  Ellington's entire arrangement from the original recording. It continues to be a jam session mainstay and it has since seen many modern  interpretations since.

JGC Top Picks:

Duke Ellington, Live at Carnegie Hall, 1943

Wes Montgomery, So Much Guitar!, 1961

Herbie Hancock, Gershwin's World, 1998