The song of the day for Monday, April 4, 2016 is “Prelude To A Kiss.”
About This Song
Duke Ellington wrote “Prelude To A Kiss” in 1938, with lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills.
Ted Gioia, in his book The Jazz Standards, notes that in the late 1930s, Ellington having practically invented swing music, “… at this juncture he does the exact opposite. The Duke uses his fame and great artistic freedom to become more ambitious, more experimental, less beholden to the formulas of swing music. … ‘Prelude To A Kiss’ from 1938 is a case in point.”
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Prelude To A Kiss” in 1999 for his album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. The exquisite violin is from Joel Smirnoff.
“Prelude To A Kiss,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.
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