Origin:

First recorded by Gene Krupa and his Orchestra.

Style:

Ballad.

Form:

A1-A2-B-A3 (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Key:

Most commonly played in Eb Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is functional. The melody however is rather angular, reminiscent of Carmichael's hugely successful composition "Star Dust". While the harmonic structure of the piece remains consistent among various interpretations, there are many alternate changes and reharmonizations that are commonly used throughout the  piece; mostly along the lines of like-function and tri-tone  substitution. The A sections begin on IMaj7 and move up diatonically through the key until reaching IVMaj7. They then return to IMaj7 before  bV7 (tri-tone substitution of I7) resolves back to IVMaj7, which is then  followed by a III - VI which leads to a momentary stay on II7. Each section however ends slightly differently, again with various interpretations using differing turnarounds. The B section takes place  in IV Major, and finishes with a brief stay in III Major before returning back to the main theme once again.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 660 times to date. It was first recorded by Gene Krupa and his Orchestra with Anita O'Day on vocals in 1941. Many leading vocalists and orchestras of the day would also make hit  recordings of the tune from the likes of Glen Miller, Dinah Shore, Bing Crosby, and Mel Tormé to name a few. It soon after found its way into the repertoire of many other prominent jazz musicians such as Earl  Hines, Lee Konitz, and Art Blakey, and it continues to be performed  frequently to this day.

JGC Top Picks:

Art Blakey, Caravan, 1962

Paul Desmond, Skylark, 1973

Michael Brecker, Two Blocks From the Edge, 1997