"Invitation" is a song by Bronisław Kaper with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, which originally appeared in the film '' A Life of Her Own'' (1950). Although it was nominated for a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

award for Best Score in the original film, it only became a

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...

after being used as the theme in the 1952 film '' Invitation''. Tony Thomas notes that it was selected for the film for its degree of poignance. It is considered to be Kaper's second best known song after " On Green Dolphin Street". JazzStandards.com describes it as a "lush and haunting score" and notes that it is most associated with

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

, who recorded it in 1958. Howard Morgen, who arranged it for guitar, writes that the "haunting" tune has "long been recognized by jazz players for its potential as an interesting mood piece" and "still sounds fresh and contemporary today."

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing (13 August 191914 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 so ...

arranged the song for piano, while Frank Mantooth arranged a Latin version of it. Dakota Staton covered it on her 1958 album ''Dynamic!'' In 1961, Rosemary Clooney recorded the song with a lush arrangement by

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many vocalists at Capitol Records, including ...

and featured it as the first track on her album ''

Love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

'',, where the lyrics acquired special poignancy, given that Clooney and Riddle, both married, were having a doomed affair at the time. It has since been recorded by the vocalists

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

, Freddy Cole, Andy Bey, and

Patricia Barber Patricia Barber (born November 8, 1955) is an American songwriter, composer, singer, and pianist. Biography Barber's father Floyd was a jazz saxophonist who played with Bud Freeman and Glenn Miller. She played saxophone and piano from a young a ...

; pianists

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

, Randy Halberstadt,

Steve Kuhn Steve Kuhn (born March 24, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator. He is the composer of the jazz standard " The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers". Biography Kuhn was born in New York City, New York, to S ...

, and Renee Rosnes; saxophonists

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

, Herb Geller, Vincent Herring, Sahib Shihab, and Don Braden; trumpeters

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved critical acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

and Brian Lynch; bassist Ray Drummond; and vibraphonist

Cal Tjader Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, often described as the most successful non-Latino Latin music (genre), Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, especially small group mod ...

(on his album ''Latin Kick''), among others. David Frackenpohl arranged a version for guitar, which was published in the 2004 Mel Bay book ''Jazz Guitar Standards: Chord Melody Solos''. Jazz critic Ted Gioia notes the following:

"Invitation" is an example of the peculiar process of "survival of the fittest" that has shaped the jazz repertoire. ... thas survived solely because jazz musicians have enjoyed playing it. This song was probably too complex for the mass market in 1952, and it certainly is far beyond what passes for popular music today. During the course of its 48-bar form, "Invitation" uses all 12 tones as a chord root at least once, and the harmonies are thick with ... higher extensions. ... "Invitation" is still inviting enough to keep the jazz musicians interested, and is likely to hold on to this constituency for some time to come.

Some significant recordings

* Les Brown - vocal by Jo Ann Greer. 78 rpm single for

Coral Records Coral Records was a subsidiary of Decca Records that was formed in 1949. Coral released music by Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer. Coral issued jazz and swing music in the 1940s, but after Bob Thiele became head ...

61047, backed with ''Sitting in the Sun'', recorded in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

(1953) * George Wallington - ''George Wallington with Strings'' (1953) * John Young - ''Young John Young'' (1956) *

Sextet - ''Latin Kick'' (1956) * Dakota Staton - ''Dynamic!'' (1958) *

- '' Standard Coltrane'' (recorded 1958, released 1962) * The Four Freshmen - ''Four Freshmen and Five Guitars'' (1959) * Buddy Collette - '' At the Cinema!'' (1959) *

Chris Connor Mary Jean Loutsenhizer, known professionally as Chris Connor (November 8, 1927 – August 29, 2009), was an American jazz singer. Biography Chris Connor was born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Clyde Loutsenhizer and Mabel Sh ...

- 45 rpm single for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

Atl 2073 (1959) * Caterina Valente - ''Super-Fonics'' (1961) *

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, wh ...

- ''

Stimulation Stimulation is the encouragement of development or the cause of activity in general. For example, "The press provides stimulation of political discourse." An interesting or fun activity can be described as "stimulating", regardless of its physic ...

'' (1961) * Rosemary Clooney - ''

'' (recorded 1961, released 1963) *

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

and The Jazz Messengers – ''!!!!! Impulse! Art Blakey! Jazz Messengers! !!!!!'' (recorded 1961, released 1970) *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (; born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a ...

- ''I Wanna Be Loved'' (1962) * Junior Mance - '' The Soul of Hollywood'' (1962) *

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

- '' The Quintessence'' (1962) *

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

- '' You're Mine You'' (1962) (arranged by

) * Ray Bryant - '' Hollywood Jazz Beat'' (1962) *

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with ...

- '' Invitation'' (1962) *

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige Records, Prestige, Blue Note, Verve Records, Verve, CTI Records, CTI, Muse Records, Muse, and Concord Records, Conco ...

- ''Lotsa Bossa Nova!'' (

Kapp Records Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp (who set up American Decca Records in 1934). David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca and RCA Victor. Kapp licensed its records to L ...

KL1326 (1963) * Roy Haynes - ''People'' ( Pacific Jazz PJ(S)82) (1964) * Lucky Thompson - '' Lucky Strikes'' (1964) * The Three Sounds - ''Three Moods'' (1964) *

Dorothy Ashby Dorothy Jeanne Thompson (August 6, 1932 – April 13, 1986), better known as Dorothy Ashby, was an American jazz harpist, singer and composer. Hailed as one of the most "unjustly under loved jazz greats of the 1950s" and the "most accomplished ...

- '' The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby'' (1965) * Sahib Shihab - ''

Companionship In social psychology, an interpersonal relation (or interpersonal relationship) describes a social association, connection, or affiliation between two or more people. It overlaps significantly with the concept of social relations, which are ...

'' (recorded 1965, released 1971) *

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a NEA Jazz Ma ...

- '' Rhapsody'' (1965) * Kai Winding - '' More Brass'' (1966) *

- '' If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem'' (recorded 1970, released 2004 as part of reissue ''At the Lighthouse'') *

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

- '' Doodlin''' (recorded 1970, released 1978) *

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

- ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

'' (1971) *

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, ...

- '' The Good Things in Life'' (1972) *

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath. Biography Heath w ...

- '' The Gap Sealer'' (1972) *Vince Wallace — ''Live! At The Studio Cafe'' (1972) * Charles McPherson - '' Today's Man'' (1973) * The Singers Unlimited - ''Invitation'' ( MPS Records 68.107) (1973) * Al Haig - ''Invitation'' (1974) * Andrew Hill - '' Invitation'' (1974) *

and Eddie Gómez - ''

Intuition Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without recourse to conscious reasoning or needing an explanation. Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledg ...

'' (1974) * Walter Bishop Jr. - '' Valley Land'' (1974) * Lee Konitz - '' Oleo'' (1974) *Takao Uematsu - ''Straight Ahead'' (DEEP JAZZ REALITY/OCTAVE-LAB, 1977) *

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, also known as Jaco Pastorius (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987), was an American jazz bassist, composer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, ...

- '' Invitation'' (1983) *

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

- '' Something Different'' (1987) * Phil Woods - '' An Affair To Remember'' (1994) * Moe Koffman - ''Devil's Brew'' (1996) *

Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and 1970s. ...

with Dave McKenna - ''You Must Believe In Swing'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the ...

– CCD-4756-2) (1997) * Diane Schuur - ''Music Is My Life'' (1999) *

Boz Scaggs William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 196 ...

- ''Swing Low'' (2008) *Christie Dashiell - ''Journey in Black'' (2023)

References

{{authority control 1952 songs Songs with music by Bronisław Kaper Songs with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster 1950s jazz standards John Coltrane Tony Bennett songs Dinah Washington songs Caterina Valente songs Real Book Song