Origin:

First recorded by Bing Crosby on the Brunswick label.

Style:

Usually played either straight or swung, taken at a wide variety of tempos.

Form:

A-B1-A-B2 (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Verse:

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

Seldom  played, Bing Crosby included it on his original 1931 recording. Ruth  Etting’s vocal offering from the same year also features a straightforward rendition of the verse.

Key:

Most commonly played in G Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The majority of the song is very functional and consistent with other standards of its day. However, the constant arrival of bVI7 (or alternatively a II-V to bII), gives this song a distinct character that  also provides a fresh harmonic framework to the soloist. The chord progression has served as the basis for many contrafacts such as “Casbah” by Tadd Dameron, “Nostalgia” by Fats Navarro, and “317 East  32nd Street” by Lennie Tristano to name a few.

Recordings:

This  song has been recorded over 280 times. Bing Crosby was the first to  record it in 1931. Coleman Hawkins' 1937 recording featuring Django  Reinhardt did much to popularize the tune, and dozens of live recordings  from Charlie Parker further helped to legitimize it as a standard.

JGC Top Picks:

Dave Brubeck, Jazz Goes To College, 1954

Charlie Parker, Charlie Parker With Strings, 1950

Benny Golson, Just Jazz!, 1962