Earl Hines w/ Billy Eckstine (1942) [SKYLARK] @JGCHistory
Earl Hines w/ Billy Eckstine (1942) [SKYLARK]  @JGCHistory
Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Earl Hines and his Orchestra performing "Skylark" with Billy Eckstine on vocal. Recorded on March 19, 1942 in New York. Featuring Truck Parham - bass; Leroy Harris, Scoops Carey - clarinet, alto saxophone; Rudy Taylor - drums; Clifton Best - guitar; Earl Hines - piano; Budd Johnson, Robert Crowder, William Randall - tenor saxophone; George Hunt, Gerald Valentine, Joe McLewis - trombone; Harry Jackson, Jesse Miller, Maurice McConnell - trumpet; and George Dixon - trumpet, alto saxophone.

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Some notes about the composition as found on
jazzguitarcomprehensive.com

Composer: Hoagy Carmichael

Lyricist: Johnny Mercer

Year: 1941

Origin: First recorded by Gene Krupa and his Orchestra in 1941.

Style: Ballad

Form: A1-A2-B-A3 (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Key: Most commonly played in Eb Major.

Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is functional. The melody however is rather angular, reminiscent of Carmichael's hugely successful composition "Star Dust". While the harmonic structure of the piece remains consistent among various interpretations, there are many alternate changes and reharmonizations that are commonly used throughout the piece; mostly along the lines of like-function and tri-tone substitution. The A sections begin on IMaj7 and move up diatonically through the key until reaching IVMaj7. They then return to IMaj7 before bV7 (tri-tone substitution of I7) resolves back to IVMaj7, which is then followed by a III - VI which leads to a momentary stay on II7. Each section however ends slightly differently, again with various interpretations using differing turnarounds. The B section takes place in IV Major, and finishes with a brief stay in III Major before returning back to the main theme once again.

Recordings: This song has been recorded over 660 times to date. It was first recorded by Gene Krupa and his Orchestra with Anita O'Day on vocals in 1941. Many leading vocalists and orchestras of the day would also make hit recordings of the tune from the likes of Glen Miller, Dinah Shore, Bing Crosby, and Mel Tormé to name a few. It soon after found its way into the repertoire of many other prominent jazz musicians such as Earl Hines, Lee Konitz, and Art Blakey, and it continues to be performed frequently to this day.

JGC Top Picks:
Art Blakey, Caravan, 1962
Paul Desmond, Skylark, 1973
Michael Brecker, Two Blocks From the Edge, 1997

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#EarlHines #BillyEckstine #Skylark
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Earl Hines w/ Billy Eckstine (1942) [SKYLARK]

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