Style:

Swing, taken at a variety of tempos.

Form:

A-B-C-D (56 Bars) [16-16-8-16]

Key:

Commonly played in Eb Major, Frank Sinatra would perform it in Db.

Harmony/Overview:

The  harmony of this composition is very functional, being made up almost entirely of II - V - I's. The A section consists of a IImi7 - V7 - IMaj7  - VI7 progression exclusively. The B section begins similarly, although  continues with a minor II - V to return back to the tonic. It then continues with a II - V of VIMaj7 before finishing the section with a  final II - V back to the tonic. The harmony in the C section is more the  same, while the final D section reaches its climax with the cliché  harmonic device of IVMaj7 - bVII7 - IMaj7 before concluding the form.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 500 times to date. It was first introduced  in the 1936 Musical Film Born to Dance by Virginia Bruce, and the first studio recording was also made the same year by Frances Langford with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra. It proved to be an immensely popular number among vocalists, becoming synonymous with Frank Sinatra as he would leave behind many legendary recordings and performances. While not the most popular standard among instrumentalists, many notable  musicians have recorded the tune from the likes of Artie Shaw, Oscar  Peterson, and Paul Desmond to name a few.

JGC Top Picks:

Frank Sinatra, Sinatra at the Sands, 1966

Bill Evans & Jim Hall, Intermodulation, 1966

Joe Henderson, Tetragon, 1967