Origin:

Introduced in the Musical Babes in Arms.

Style:

Almost always approached as a ballad.

Form:

A1-A2-B-C (36 Bars) [8-8-8-12]

Verse:

A-B (16 Bars) [8-8]

Very rarely included in performances. Barbara Cook features it on her recording from Barbara Cook Sings From the Heart. It is also featured on the album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book.

Key:

Most commonly played in Eb Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The  harmony of this composition is functional and very much in line with other leading standards of its day. It takes place predominantly in the relative minor, with the bridge and final C section occurring in the  relative Major. The main theme revolves around a minor cliché, beginning on VImi with the bassline descending in semi-tones each bar. This  continues until bVIMaj7 is reached in the 5th bar, and the section  finishes with a minor II - V back to VImi. The following A section is  identical except for the melody which begins on the minor 3rd instead of the root, and the final 2 bars which set up the modulation to the  relative Major in the bridge. The bridge takes place in the relative Major and the harmony is nearly entirely diatonic. The final C section begins similarly to A, although the melody continues to climb upward and  the form is extended by an additional 4 bars.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 1,000 times and is one of the most widely performed and recorded jazz compositions of all time. It was first introduced by Mitzi Green in the 1937 Rodgers/Hart Musical Babes in Arms,  and the first recording would come from Fairchild & Carroll and  their Orchestra the same year. Chet Baker was one of the first jazz musicians to legitimize the tune as a viable jazz vehicle and he would  record it many times throughout his career. Miles Davis also left behind several very memorable recordings. It continues to be one of the most  popular and widely known standards among instrumentalists and vocalists  alike.

JGC Top Picks:

Gerry Mulligan with Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan Quartet, 1952

Bill Evans & Jim Hall, Undercurrent, 1962

Miles Davis, My Funny Valentine, 1964