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“Hearing Coltrane seize ‘In a Sentimental Mood’ is thanks enough.”
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- Marc Greilsamer
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On April 30, 1935, Duke Ellington
and His Orchestra introduced “In
a Sentimental Mood.” Recorded on
the Brunswick label and featuring
Otto “Toby” Hardwick on alto saxophone,
the composition went onto the pop
charts on July 13, rising to number
fourteen.
“In a Sentimental Mood” enjoyed
a wave of popularity in the 1930’s.
Other recordings to make the pop
charts that decade included
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra,
1936, which rose to number thirteen,
and Mills Blues Rhythm Band, also
in 1936, which rose to number nineteen.
In an age of radio, “In a Sentimental
Mood” was the theme song for no
less than nine radio shows.
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Although Ellington is credited
for the music of “In a Sentimental
Mood,”
Toby Hardwick should be recognized
beyond his introductory performance.
In his biography,
Duke Ellington, James Lincoln
Collier comments, “…the central
melodic ideas of virtually all of
Ellington’s best-known songs originated
in somebody else’s head.” Among
many others examples, Collier points
out that “In a Sentimental Mood,”
“Sophisticated
Lady,” and “Prelude
to a Kiss” were adaptations
of Hardwick melodies.
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The combination of Ellington’s
music and the Kurtz/Mills lyrics
has elicited high praise from music
critics. Accolades have included
“Simply the most beautiful song
ever written” and “The perfect soundtrack
for falling in love.”
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It is always tempting to question how much Irving
Mills contributed to a song bearing his name. In
this case the lofty phrases,
“stars come through my room”
“flame that lights the gloom”
“wings of every kiss”
are so similar in style to Mills’ individual
effort on “Caravan”
(1937)
“stars above that shine so
bright”
“The myst’ry of their fading light...”
that it seems likely credit is due.
In his book
American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950,
Alec Wilder comments that the lyrics to “In a Sentimental
Mood” have little fluidity. While that may be true,
as with “Caravan”
their strength lies in the evocative power of the
phrases. The lyrics are not witty, urbane, or exemplary
in their construction like those of
Lorenz Hart or
Cole Porter, but they do successfully create
images that support the mood of Ellington’s music.
“In a Sentimental Mood” is written in the basic
popular song format A-A-B-A and appears to capitalize
on a supporting phrase from a Gershwin song. The
chorus opens with a seven-note climb up the scale
that, with the exception of key, is the same as
the opening of the chorus in Gershwin’s 1926 “Someone
to Watch over Me.” The songs part company there,
however, with Gershwin launching into a series of
repeated notes before closing the first chorus (and
others) with the title phrase. “In a Sentimental
Mood,” on the other hand, pauses for a full measure
at the end of the initial seven-note climb, providing
emphasis that establishes the sequence of notes
as the hook phrase and as the logical place to fit
the title of the song. -JW
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Musical analysis of
“In a Sentimental Mood”
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| Original
Key |
One flat;
“A” starts in D minor and ends in F major
with a false key change to Db major |
| Form |
A - A – B
– A |
| Tonality |
About 45%
is minor; first “A” wanders to the relative
major key, while “B” is entirely major |
| Movement |
Primarily
scale-wise, initially ascending from the
third degree of the minor key, gradually
working its way back down through a combination
of steps and skips in both directions. |
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Comments
(assumed
background)
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The beginning minor gives the song a “brooding,”
introspective feeling, but the eventual
change to minor seems to bring some resolution.
It has been pointed out that the first seven
notes are identical to Gershwin’s “Someone
To Watch Over Me.” However, the harmonic
context is so radically different as to
make it almost unrecognizable. Harmonically,
the piece is brilliant and unique. A descending
bass line subtly leads the ear from i to
iv. A V7 returns us to i, but then, changes
the V to a minor v chord, making it a pivot
iii chord of the relative major in a circle
of fifths that leads the ear to the new
tonic (in the original key: A7 – Dm – Am7
– D7 – Gm7 – C7 – F). This whole modulation
is done with such finesse, the listener
is hardly aware of it until the sudden shift
back to i for the second “A”.
The harmonic
progression of “B,” by contrast, is a fairly
standard I – vi – ii – V7 (“Blue
Moon,” “Heart
And Soul,” etc.), but since the song
has modulated into a distant key, it still
sounds fresh. Part of this is also because
many notes of the melody are on coloristic
chord extentions–the major (raised) seventh,
the ninth, and the eleventh, for the most
part. Other important melody notes are chord
extentions, the most notable being the first
long sustained note of “A”. The initial
seven-notescale run lands on the 11th (G
in D minor). This could only work in a minor
key and essentially makes the opening chord
Dm11. The next predominant note is the 9th
(A in G minor). |
K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Check out K. J. McElrath's book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com). |
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“In a Sentimental Mood”
was included in these films:
- The Natural (1984, instrumental)
- He Said, She Said (1991)
- A League of Their Own (1992,
Billy Joel)
- The Mambo Kings (1992, Duke
Ellington and His Orchestra)
- The Hudsucker Proxy (1994,
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra)
- The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996,
Marvin Hamlisch, instrumental)
- Love Jones (1997, John Coltrane
and Duke Ellington)
- Angel Eyes (2001, Dennis Smith)
And on Broadway:
- Sophisticated Ladies (1981,
Phyllis Hyman)
- Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics
of Andy Razaf (1989, Bunny Briggs, Jerome
Richardson)
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Click on a CD for more details
at Amazon.com
John Coltrane
Gentle Side of John Coltrane
1991, GRP 107
Original recording, 1975, Impulse!
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| This Coltrane performance of “In
a Sentimental Mood” can be found on a handful
of compilations. It very well could be the
definitive rendition of the song as the
saxophonist is joined by Duke Ellington,
himself, at the piano. |
Leon Parker
Belief
1996, Sony 67457
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| You won’t hear another rendition
like this. Parker employs only conga drum
and hand claps, bolstered by flute, alto
sax, trombone, bass, steel pan, marimba,
and berimbau! |
Mark Whitfield
The Marksman
1990, Warner Bros 26321
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| In his debut as a leader, guitarist
Whitfield displayed all-around talent. His
gentle reading of “In a Sentimental Mood”
speaks to his respect and understanding
for the “classics.” |
Ann Hampton Calloway
Easy Living
1999, Sin-DromeRecords
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| Vocalist Calloway is as comfortable
on the cabaret stage as she is with the
variety of small-group, jazz settings on
this CD. Wonderful talent, great selections,
and an appropriately slow reading of “In
a Sentimental Mood.” |
Sarah Vaughan
Ballads
2002 Blue Note 37561
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| This compilation of recordings from
the early sixties presents Vaughan at her
most mature as a vocalist. Her elegance
and innate sense of romance are perfectly
suited for the song. |
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Duke Ellington’s lovely melody was the basis
for a number of arrangements in the 1930’s, most
notably those recorded by reedman Jimmy Dorsey,
the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, guitarist Dick McDonough,
Benny Goodman, and Elllington himself. The Belgian-gypsy
guitarist Django Reinhardt’s version with the Quintette
of the Hot Club of France in 1937 showed he was
not intimidated by the song’s harmonic structure;
his work on the recording is forward-thinking.
The tune had a bit of hiatus during the 1940’s
but resurfaced in 1953 with recordings by Sonny
Rollins and Art Tatum, after which it was revisited
by many jazz players.
Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian
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| This section shows the jazz standards
written by the same writing team. Click on a name
to see all of a writer's jazz standards.
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Additional information on “In a Sentimental Mood” may be found in:
2 paragraphs including the following types of information: music analysis.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: Broadway productions, history and performers.
2 paragraphs including the following types of information: anecdotal and music analysis.
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