Origin:

First introduced in the Broadway musical Roberta.

Style:

Almost always performed as a ballad.

Form:

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

Key:

Most commonly played in Eb Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is very functional. The first two bars of the A section begin with the very common progression of IMaj7 - bIIIdim7  - IImi7 - V7. Bars 3-4 tend to see a variety of interpretations; I -  III7b13 - IVMaj7 is often used, and I - Iaug/III - IVMaj7 is also very common harmonization. A standard III - VI - II - V is then used to return back to the tonic to repeat the initial theme once more. The B section takes place in bVI Maj, beginning on IMaj7 of the newly tonicized key. VI7 can be used in the 2nd bar, although it is sometimes omitted. Either a III - VI - II - V or a prolonged II - V is then used  to return back to IMaj7. In the 6th bar, a II - V is then used to return  back to the original key of the song.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 565 times to date. It was originally conceived as incidental music for the musical Show Boat, although it was cut from the production. After getting scrapped from yet another  production, this time a musical by NBC, Otto Harbach suggested that after some slight alterations the song would work as a vocal feature for their 1933 musical Roberta. The first recording comes from Gertrude Niesen in 1933. Many notable jazz  musicians began to perform and record it soon after from the likes of  Paul Whiteman, Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Glen Miller to name a few. It slowly began to find its way into the repertoire of many of the  leading jazz instrumentalists and vocalists of the day, and it continues to be an especially popular standard.

JGC Top Picks:

Thelonious Monk, Solo 1954, 1954

Clifford Brown, Clifford Brown With Strings, 1955

Cannonball Adderley, African Waltz, 1961