Origin:

Introduced in the 1935 Opera Porgy and Bess.

Style:

Originally composed as an aria, over the years it has been adapted to a wide variety of styles.

Form:

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

The head is played twice on the way in and out as there is two verses of lyric.

Key:

Commonly played in A minor, although it is often taken in many different keys.

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of the composition is altogether very functional, and along with the melody possesses an almost folk-song like aesthetic due its simplicity and pentatonic based lament. The song begins on the relative minor, and proceeds to IVmi in the 5th bar. The A section then finishes with a minor II - V back to Imi. The B section begins identically to A, although it ventures to the relative Major briefly before returning back to Imi with another minor II - V.

Recordings:

This composition is one of the most popular jazz standards of all time, with over 2,000 different recordings to date. The first release comes from Helen Jepson in 1935, although a recording taken earlier that year at a  rehearsal of Porgy and Bess features Abbie Mitchell performing the tune. This recording however was not released publicly until much later. The tune has since been adapted and performed in nearly every style imaginable with great cross-over  success. Countless jazz musicians have left behind memorable recordings and it continues to be performed frequently to this day.

JGC Top Picks:

John Coltrane, My Favorite Things, 1960

Joe Henderson, Porgy & Bess, 1997

Jonathan Kreisberg, Nine Stories Wide, 2003