Style:

Ballad

Form:

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

Key:

Most commonly played in Eb Major.

Harmony/Overview:

Very functional harmonically speaking, made up nearly entirely of II-V-I’s. The A sections begin on IMaj7 before a II - V leads to IVMaj7. A II - V of bIII then deceptively resolves to a III - VI - II - V which makes its way back to the tonic. The bridge is also very conventional, beginning with a II - V to IVMaj7 before a II - V of III deceptively leads to a III - VI - II - V back to the tonic.

Recordings:

To date this song has been recorded over 550 times. The first recording comes from Erroll Garner's album Contrasts and it was initially introduced as an instrumental, Johnny Burke would pen lyrics to the tune. Over the years it has been covered in a wide variety of genres and has seen massive cross over appeal, and it continues to be one of the most widely known standards

JGC Top Picks:

Sarah Vaughan, Vaughan and Violins, 1958

Wes Montgomery, Complete Live at the Half Note, 1965

Ahmad Jamal, Heat Wave, 1966