Style:

Swing, taken at a variety of tempos.

Form:

A-B-A-C (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Arrangements:

The brief introduction used by Miles Davis on his album Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet is often included in performances.

Key:

Most commonly played in F Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is very functional. The A sections begin  with a II - V to the tonic and continue with a III - VI - II - V. The B section begins with I6 - I6/III - IV7 - V7 before returning to the tonic. It then continues with a minor II - V of VI which resolves to the  relative minor. The bassline then continues downward to lead into a II -  V of III which briefly resolves to IIIMaj7. The final C section begins similarly to B, although it moves through I6 - I6/III - IV6 - bVdim7  instead before the common progression of I6 - IV7 - IIImi7b5 - VI7 is used to set-up the final II - V which resolves to the tonic to conclude the form.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 240 times to date. Isabel Bigley was the first to introduce it in the 1950 Broadway Musical Guys and Dolls.  Bing Crosby and Patty Andrews would be the first to record the piece in  the studio that same year alongside Vic Schoen and His Orchestra. Miles Davis' legendary recording from Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet was highly influential in establishing the tune as a jazz standard and  countless instrumentalists and vocalists have recorded it since. It continues to find favor among jazz musicians, and it is also an especially popular jam session number.

JGC Top Picks:

Elvin Jones, Heart to Heart, 1980

Woody Shaw, Imagination, 1987

David Kikoski, Phoenix Rising, 2019