Origin:

Introduced in the 1935 musical Jumbo.

Style:

Introduced in 4/4, it is often played as either a ballad or medium swing. It is also common to perform the tune as a waltz.

Form:

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

Key:

Most commonly played in Bb Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The  harmony of this composition is very functional and in line with many other leading standards of its day. The A sections begin by moving  diatonically through the key with IMaj7 - IImi7 - IIImi7 before bIIIdim7 leads to a final II - V which returns to the tonic. A minor II - V of VI then leads to the relative minor where the song takes place for the following 4 bars. The B section begins on IVMaj7 before a bVII7 is  followed by IMaj7, which then becomes Dominant to lead back again to IV. The B section then concludes with a minor II - V of III which then cycles back to the tonic in a predictable fashion with various II - V's.  The final C section is also relatively straightforward, beginning on  IVMaj7 once again and continuing with a V of IImi. The bassline then descends to lead to a minor II - V of VImi, and a final I - VI - II - V  concludes the form.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 550 times to date. It was first introduced in the 1935 Musical Jumbo by  Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra with vocal by Donald Novis & Gloria  Grafton, and they would also be the first to record it in the studio the following year. Dave Brubeck was one of the first jazz musicians to  realize the jazz potential in the harmonic structure of this piece,  recording it on his 1952 album The Dave Brubeck Trio.  Bill Evans would also become closely associated with the tune, and he would keep it in his repertoire well throughout his career. Other  notable recordings come from Ben Webster, Art Blakey, and even Frank Sinatra to name a few.

JGC Top Picks:

Bill Evans, The Complete Village Vanguard Recording, 1961

Art Blakey, Buttercorn Lady, 1966

Joey DeFrancesco, One Take, Vol. 1, 2004