The song of the day for Monday, April 29, 2013, is Sophisticated Lady.
About This Song
Duke Ellington wrote Sophisticated Lady in 1932 as an instrumental. Lyrics were added later by Mitchell Parish. Ellington is said to have been inspired to write this song by two of this grade school teacher, who toured Europe in the summers after teaching all year. “To me that spelled sophistication.” Sophisticated Lady was first recorded in 1933 on the flip side with Harold Arlen’s Stormy Weather.
It is, of course, one of Ellington’s most popular and often-played songs. In addition to numerous recordings by Ellington over the years, the song has been recorded by Art Tatum, Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine, Johnny Hodges, Sarah Vaughan, and Glenn Miller.
About This Version
Tony Bennett first recorded Sophisticated Lady in 1960 for Alone Together. Today’s version comes from his 1999 tribute album to Ellington: Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. Yes, that’s Gray Sargent on guitar.
http://open.spotify.com/track/3TFxZHXUFvwHuFrVghjj7x
Sophisticated Lady, as well as the full Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.
This version of Sophisticated Lady often catches me by surprise. I find myself caught up in it, often it is the conversation of Tony’s voice and Joel Smirnoff’s violin. Beautiful.