Style:

Swing, typically played at an up tempo.

Form:

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

Arrangements:

A short introduction is often included which revolves around a whole-tone line. This can be heard on Ellington's original recording and it is often included in performances. During the head out a coda is used to finish off the performance; the final 2 bars feature a new melodic phrase.

Key:

C Major

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is very functional. The melody gets most of  its character from the constant arrival of #11 on the II7 chord, and along with the abundance of passing tones the piece has an aesthetic more akin to band leaders such as Fletcher Henderson as opposed to Ellington himself. The A sections begin with IMaj7 - II7 and finish with  a II - V back to the tonic. The bridge is also very straightforward, remaining on IVMaj7 for the first half of the section and finishing with a momentary stay on II7 before a final II - V returns back to the  tonic.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 650 times to date and is one of the most widely known jazz standards of all time. During the early 1940's a  battle over royalties and licensing between ASCAP and the radio stations  prevented Ellington from airing any of his own original compositions, and as a result he turned to his frequent collaborator Billy Strayhorn  for new music. Strayhorn had been working on this piece as early as 1939  but was hesitant to bring it forward to the band because he feared it sounded too much like Fletcher Henderson. Ellington ultimately ended up recording it with his Orchestra in 1941 and it would go on to become the band's theme song.

JGC Top Picks:

Clifford Brown & Max Roach, A Study In Brown, 1955

Ella Fitzgerald, Twelve Nights In Hollywood, 1961

Joe Henderson, Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn, 1991