Origin:

First recorded by the Ellington Orchestra on September 5, 1940.

Style:

Swing, usually played at a comfortable medium tempo.

Form:

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

Key:

Most commonly played in Ab Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The  harmony of this composition is very functional. The changes are based on the Art Hickman/Harry Williams tune "Rose Room". The A sections are made up simply of a II7 - V7 of IMaj7 and a II - V of IVMaj7. The B  section begins on IV6 before a bVII7 leads back to the tonic. A V7 of II then sets up a momentary stay on II7 before leading to V7, which is then followed by a V7 of II which sets up the following A Section. The  final C section is also very conventional, being centered around the common progression of IV6 - #IVdim7 - I6.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded hundreds of times to date. The first recording was made by the Duke Ellington Orchestra on September 5, 1940. It took a  few years before another band leader would record the tune, and Red Norvo recorded it on a session in 1943. It has since gone on to become a  very popular Duke Ellington composition with recordings being made by  the likes of Charles Mingus, Art Pepper, and McCoy Tyner to name a few.

JGC Top Picks:

Chico Hamilton, The Original Ellington Suite, 1958

Art Pepper and George Cables, Goin' Home, 1982

McCoy Tyner, Land of Giants, 2003