Satin Doll

Last updated
"Satin Doll"
Song
Published1953
Genre Jazz standard
Composer(s) Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
Lyricist(s) Johnny Mercer

"Satin Doll" is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. [1] Written in 1953, the song has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Billy Eckstine, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Short, and many other vocalists. As an instrumental, it has been recorded by hundreds of jazz artists. [2] Its chord progression is well known for its unusual use of chords and opening with a ii-V-I turnaround. [3]

Contents

Background

Billy Strayhorn Billy Strayhorn, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948 (William P. Gottlieb 08211).jpg
Billy Strayhorn

According to Strayhorn biographer David Hajdu, Ellington wrote the main melodic themes for "Satin Doll", then asked Strayhorn to harmonize and orchestrate the tune and write an original lyric. [4] Hajdu wrote that Strayhorn did pen a lyric for the song that was a tribute to Strayhorn's mother (whom Strayhorn called "Satin Doll"), but that Strayhorn's lyric was not performed and is now lost. The Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded the piece as an instrumental in 1953, and the song charted that same year and remained popular through the 1950s. Around 1959, Johnny Mercer was asked to write a new lyric for the song. An instrumental version by guitarist Johnny Smith released in 1959 lists Mercer as a composer, though the copyright registration for the version of the song with Mercer's lyric was not filed until 1960. [5]

Commercial Recordings

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Strayhorn</span> American jazz pianist, composer, lyricist and arranger (1915–1967)

William Thomas Strayhorn was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the 'A' Train", "Chelsea Bridge", "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing", and "Lush Life".

"Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quentin Jackson</span> American jazz musician

Quentin "Butter" Jackson was an American jazz trombonist.

<i>Ella at Dukes Place</i> 1965 album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella at Duke's Place is a 1965 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, accompanied by his Orchestra. While it was the second studio album made by Fitzgerald and Ellington, following the 1957 song book recording, a live double album Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur was recorded in 1966. Ella at Duke’s Place was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1967 Grammy Awards.

<i>Ella in Hollywood</i> 1961 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella in Hollywood is a live 1961 album by Ella Fitzgerald, with a jazz quartet led by Lou Levy, recorded in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

<i>Ella and Duke at the Cote DAzur</i> 1967 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur is a 1967 live album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the big band of Duke Ellington.

<i>Montreux 75</i> 1975 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Montreux '75 is a 1975 live album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a trio led by the pianist Tommy Flanagan.

<i>The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books</i> 1994 compilation album by Ella Fitzgerald

The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books were a series of eight studio albums released in irregular intervals between 1956 and 1964, recorded by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, supported by a variety of orchestras, big bands, and small jazz combos.

<i>The Stockholm Concert, 1966</i> 1966 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

The Stockholm Concert, 1966 is a 1966 live album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied in part by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. The recording remained unreleased until 1984.

<i>Ella and Basie!</i> 1963 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie

Ella and Basie! is a 1963 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra, with arrangements by Quincy Jones and Benny Carter. It was later reissued with slightly different cover art as On the Sunny Side of the Street.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book</i> 1957 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book is a 1957 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by Duke Ellington and his orchestra, focusing on Ellington's songs.

"Lush Life" is a jazz standard that was written by Billy Strayhorn from 1933 to 1936. It was performed publicly for the first time by Strayhorn and vocalist Kay Davis with the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on November 13, 1948.

"Things Ain't What They Used to Be" is a 1942 jazz standard with music by Mercer Ellington and lyrics by Ted Persons.

"Day Dream" is a jazz standard composed by Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by John Latouche and written in 1939. It was first recorded by saxophonist Johnny Hodges and his ensemble on November 2, 1940. Duke Ellington was credited as co-composer on the label of the original 78 RPM release, though he is not generally considered to be one of the song's creators.

George Edward "Butch" Ballard was an American jazz drummer who played with Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea Bridge (song)</span> Jazz standard composed by Billy Strayhorn

"Chelsea Bridge" (1941) is an impressionistic jazz standard composed by Billy Strayhorn.

<i>Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque</i> 1958 studio album by Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded in 1958 and released on the Columbia label.

<i>Live at the Blue Note</i> (Duke Ellington album) 1959 live album by Duke Ellington

Live at the Blue Note is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at The Blue Note nightclub in Chicago for the Roulette label in 1959.

<i>Warm Breeze</i> 1981 studio album by Count Basie

Warm Breeze is a 1980 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra.

<i>The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World</i> 1975 compilation album

The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World is a 1967 live album featuring Duke Ellington and his orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, T-Bone Walker, Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry and Zoot Sims. It was released in 1975.

References

  1. Micucci, Matt (May 2, 2017). "A short history of … "Satin Doll"". Jazziz.com. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Gioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 360. ISBN   978-0-19-993739-4.
  3. "Satin Doll", Compositions, Jazz Standards.
  4. ( Hajdu, David (1996). Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn . New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux. ISBN   0-374-19438-6.
  5. Van de Leur, Walter (2002). Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-512448-0.
  6. "The Best of the Gaylords: The Mercury Years". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  7. "The Coasters : One by One". AllMusic . Retrieved February 18, 2012..
  8. "Kimiko Kasai With Gil Evans Orchestra – Satin Doll". Discogs. 1972. Retrieved April 1, 2020.