Origin:

Introduced as an instrumental in the 1944 film Laura.

Style:

Often performed as a ballad.

Form:

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

Key:

Most commonly played in C Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The  harmony of this composition is very functional, made up mostly of II - V  - I's. The A sections begin by stating the main theme over a II - V of V  before repeating the exact same phrase transposed down a whole step. The B section begins with a II - V of bIIIMaj7 and continues with a minor II - V to VMaj7. The final C section begins similarly to B,  although the bassline continues downward leading to a minor II - V to  IMaj7. In the 5th bar of the C section the melody lands on the b9 of  II7, and a commonly used reharmonization at this point is to play a chromatic II - V from above (II - V of bII) before using a final II - V  to resolve to the tonic. The melody works well with both sets of changes and both treatments have come to be equally as common in practice.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 450 times to date. It was first introduced as part of the instrumental score in the 1944 film Laura. Johnny Mercer would later add lyrics, and Woody Herman was the first to record the new adaptation with his Orchestra in 1945. The piece managed  to find its way in the repertoire of many leading jazz bands of the day from the likes of Boyd Raeburn, Gene Krupa, and Duke Ellington to name a  few. Countless jazz musicians have recorded the composition since.

JGC Top Picks:

Julie London, Julie Is Her Name, 1955

Bill Evans, A Simple Matter of Conviction, 1966

Frank Rosolino, Thinking About You, 1976