Origin:

Frankie Trumbauer originally prompted Carmichael to compose a tune about Georgia.

Style:

Introduced at a medium swing, it tends to be played at slower tempos.

Form:

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

Key:

Introduced in Bb Major, this tune is commonly taken in many different keys.

Harmony/Overview:

The  harmony of this composition is very functional, although many different recordings will include varying sets of changes as there is much room  for re-harmonization. Overall the harmonic content is very reminiscent of blues, gospel, and spiritual numbers. The A sections begin with the motion of I – III7 before resolving to the relative minor in the 3rd bar. A common maneuver in bars 3-4 is to proceed with VImi7 - I7/V - IV -  #IVdim7, although in Hoagy Carmichael's original recording the band remains on VImi7 in the 3rd bar and continues with IV - IImi7b5.  Additionally, it is also very common to hear II7 with the 3rd in the bass followed by IVmi (the near equivalent of #IVmi7b5 - IVmi). The bridge takes place in the relative minor and also receives many  different treatments, a common one being to use the cliché minor line of  '5-#5-6-b6'.

Recordings:

This  song has been recorded over 680 times to date. Hoagy Carmichael was the first to record it with his Orchestra in 1930. The found favor among many jazz musicians and was recorded by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, and Gene Krupa to name a few. It also managed to achieve massive cross over appeal with hit recordings made by Ray  Charles and even Willie Nelson.

JGC Top Picks:

Oscar Peterson, Night Train¸ 1963

Dexter Gordon, Biting the Apple, 1977

John Scofield, That’s What I Say, 2005