April In Paris (song)
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"April in Paris" is a popular song composed by
Vernon Duke Vernon Duke ( 16 January 1969) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for " Taking a Chance on Love," with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche (1940), "I ...
with lyrics by Yip Harburg in 1932 for the Broadway musical '' Walk a Little Faster''. The original 1933 hit was performed by Freddy Martin, and the 1952 remake (inspired by the movie of the same name) was by the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, whose version made the Cashbox Top 50. Composer Alec Wilder writes: "There are no two ways about it: this is a perfect theater song. If that sounds too reverent, then I'll reduce the praise to 'perfectly wonderful', or else say that if it's not perfect, show me why it isn't."


Recordings


Count Basie version

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
's 1955 recording on the album of the same name is the most famous, and that particular performance was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The arrangement was by Wild Bill Davis. On this recording, trumpeter Thad Jones played his famous " Pop Goes the Weasel" solo, trombonist Benny Powell performed his much noted bridge, and Basie directs the band to play the shout chorus "one more time" and then "one more once". A revised arrangement of the song, played by the Count Basie Orchestra in a cameo appearance, is also featured in the 1974 film '' Blazing Saddles''. Freddy Martin and Henry King had the earliest hits of this song, at the very end of 1933. It has been performed by many artists, including: Alex Chilton, Benny Goodman, Bill Evans,
Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...
, Billy Eckstine, Blossom Dearie, Bud Powell,
Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...
, Clifford Brown, Coleman Hawkins,
Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald,
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
, Glenn Miller,
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
, Mary Kaye Trio, Sammy Davis Jr., Sarah Vaughan, Thelonious Monk, Tommy Dorsey,
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
, and Wynton Marsalis.


See also

* List of 1930s jazz standards * April in Paris (film)


Literature

* Ted Gioia ''The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire'' Oxford University Press; Oxford 2012;


References


External links


"April in Paris"
a
JazzStandards.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:April in Paris (song) 1930s jazz standards 1932 songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Jazz compositions in C major Real Book Song Songs about Paris Songs from musicals Songs with lyrics by Yip Harburg Songs with music by Vernon Duke