Sophisticated Lady
| "Sophisticated Lady" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra | |
| Released | 1933 |
| Recorded | February 15, 1933 |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Writer(s) | Duke Ellington |
"Sophisticated Lady" is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington, with additional credit given to publisher Irving Mills, to which words were added by Mitchell Parish. The words met with approval from Ellington, who described them as "wonderful—but not entirely fitted to my original conception". That original conception was inspired by three of Ellington's grade school teachers. "They taught all winter and toured Europe in the summer. To me that spelled sophistication".[1] Duke Ellington and His Orchestra introduced "Sophisticated Lady" in 1933[2] with an instrumental recording of the song that featured solos by Toby Hardwick on alto sax, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Lawrence Brown on trombone and Ellington on piano. The recording entered the charts on 27 May 1933, and stayed there for sixteen weeks, rising to number three. [3]
Ellington’s early vocalist Adelaide Hall recorded two versions of "Sophisticated Lady". In 1944 on the Decca label (Decca F. 8467)[4] and in the soundtrack of the 1989/90 movie documentary celebrating her life entitled Sophisticated Lady.[5][6][7] Miss Hall recorded with Ellington on several occasions – in 1927, 1932 and 1933. Another version of Adelaide Hall singing "Sophisticated Lady" can be found on footage from British TV in the 1987 Terry Wogan Show.[8][9]
Arild Andresen, piano with guitar and bass recorded it in Oslo on March 11, 1955, as the first melody of the medley "Klaver-Cocktail Nr. 3" and "With a Song in My Heart" and "Flamingo" (His Master's Voice A.L. 3514).
Recordings
- Jimmy Mesene with Nat Gonella and his Georgians (Parlophone F 319 E7216 / 29 October 1935)
- Adelaide Hall – Decca (Decca F. 8467) (1944), Adelaide Hall live at the Riverside Studios (VIP Series CDVIR 8312) (1990)[10]
- Billie Holiday – All or Nothing at All (1956)[11]
- Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book (1957)
- Sarah Vaughan – After Hours (1961)
- Julie London – Sophisticated Lady (1962)
- Harry James – New Versions Of Down Beat Favorites (MGM E-4265, 1965)
- Linda Ronstadt and Nelson Riddle – Lush Life (1984)
- Ariana Savalas – Sophisticated Lady (2014)[12]
- Larry Coryell – Toku Do[13]
- Marcus Miller – Silver Rain[14][15]
- Chicago – Night & Day Big Band
- Swingrass '83 – Swingrass '83 (1983)
- Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga – Cheek to Cheek (2014)
See also
References
- ↑ ’Who was Duke’s Sophisticated Lady?’ (article retrieved 26 December 2014): http://www.allaboutjazz.com/who-was-dukes-sophisticated-lady-duke-ellington-by-aaj-staff.php
- ↑ http://www.depanorama.net/33.htm
- ↑ http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-0/sophisticatedlady.htm
- ↑ "Adelaide Hall – Sophisticated Lady", Discogs.
- ↑ Sophisticated Lady movie starring Adelaide Hall.
- ↑ Sophisticated Lady, Library of Congress archive:http://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200019446
- ↑ "Adelaide Hall Live At the Riverside Studios".
- ↑ Adelaide Hall singing "Sophisticated Lady" on British TV in 1987 on YouTube.
- ↑ "Adelaide Hall, 92, International Star of Cabaret" (obituary), New York Times, November 10, 1993.
- ↑ Adelaide Hall live at the Riverside Studios:(CD) http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-riverside-mw0000423453
- ↑ "Billie Holiday Discography". jazzdisco.org.
- ↑ http://www.arianasavalas.com/#!sounds/c1dca
- ↑ "Toku Do overview". Allmusic.com.
- ↑ "Silver Rain overview". Allmusic.com.
- ↑ "Silver Rain Marcus Miller". JazzTimes.
