Origin:

Introduced in the 1930 film Playboy of Paris.

Style:

Nearly always performed as a ballad, occasionally played at a slow-medium swing.

Form:

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

Verse:

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

Sometimes included, the original 1930 recording from Maurice Chevalier features it, and Chet Baker also offers a concise interpretation.

Key:

Most commonly played in Eb Major, but often taken in many varying keys.

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is functional and very much in line with other standards of its day. The immediately recognizable theme is made  up of a descending Major 6 arpeggio. The first 4 bars of of both  sections are identical, although the B section finishes the form with a I  – IV – III – VI before a final bVI7 – V7 turnaround returns back to the  tonic.

Recordings:

The song has been recorded over 200 times to date. Maurice Chevalier was the first to record it in 1930 and although initially it was not as popular as other standards of its time, many leading artists of the day  have gone on to record it and it has since become a mainstay in the  repertoire.

JGC Top Picks:

John Coltrane, Bahia, 1958

Peter Bernstein, Signs of Life, 1995

David Hazeltine, The Inspiration Suite, 2007