Satin Doll

"Satin Doll"
Song
Published1953
GenreJazz standard
Composer(s)Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
Lyricist(s)Johnny Mercer

"Satin Doll" is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by Johnny Mercer.[1] Written in 1953, the song has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Billy Eckstine, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Short, and many other vocalists. As an instrumental, it has been recorded by hundreds of jazz artists.[2] Its chord progression is well known for its unusual use of chords and opening with a ii-V-I turnaround.[3]

Background

Billy Strayhorn

According to Strayhorn biographer David Hajdu, Ellington wrote the main melodic themes for "Satin Doll", then asked Strayhorn to harmonize and orchestrate the tune and write an original lyric.[4] Hajdu wrote that Strayhorn did pen a lyric for the song that was a tribute to Strayhorn's mother (whom Strayhorn called "Satin Doll"), but that Strayhorn's lyric was not performed and is now lost. The Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded the piece as an instrumental in 1953, and the song charted that same year and remained popular through the 1950s.

Around 1959, Johnny Mercer was asked to write a new lyric for the song. An instrumental version by guitarist Johnny Smith released in 1959 lists Mercer as a composer, though the copyright registration for the version of the song with Mercer's lyric was not filed until 1960.[5]

Commercial recordings

See also

  • Montgomery-Ward bridge

References

  1. ^ Micucci, Matt (May 2, 2017). "A short history of … "Satin Doll"". Jazziz.com. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 360. ISBN 978-0-19-993739-4.
  3. ^ "Satin Doll", Compositions, Jazz Standards.
  4. ^ (Hajdu, David (1996). Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux. ISBN 0-374-19438-6.
  5. ^ Van de Leur, Walter (2002). Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-512448-0.
  6. ^ "The Best of the Gaylords: The Mercury Years". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  7. ^ "The Coasters : One by One". AllMusic. Retrieved February 18, 2012..
  8. ^ "Bud Powell Discography". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  9. ^ "Kimiko Kasai With Gil Evans Orchestra – Satin Doll". Discogs. 1972. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  10. ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
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