ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET

Music: Bronislau Kaper- Lyrics: Ned Washington

Year: 1947

On green dolphin street-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

The song ‘On Green Dolphin Street’ belongs to the score of the film Green Dolphin Street, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Victor Saville and starring Lana Turner, Van Helfin and Donna Reed, which was released in New York on 15 October 1947.

Although it was harshly trampled by the critic, the audience enjoyed it. It got the highest box office earnings of all 1947 films, and it won the Oscar for best special effects and was nominated for black and white picture, editing and soundtrack.

Its musical theme was not a success, not even when Ned Washington put the lyrics. Only one version, the one of Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, hit the popularity charts and only remained on them for a week in number twenty-five. As for the song to become a jazz classic it would have to wait for more than one decade.

Kaper won the Oscar for best song in 1953, for ‘Hi-Lili Hi-Lo’, from the movie Lilí and was nominated in 1962 for ‘Follow Me’, from the movie Mutiny on the Bounty.

Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	DAY OF ENTRANCE	PERMANENCE WEEKS	HIGH POSITION REACHED
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra	1947.10.15	1948.01.31	1	25	Bill Lawrence (voc)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

Instrumental

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Urbie Green Septet	1955.01.12	Urbie Green (tb), Doug Mettome (tp), Danny Bank (fl, cl, bars), Ike Horowitz (ts, cl, fl), Jimmy Lyon (cel), Oscar Pettiford (b), Jimmy Campbell (d)
The Poll Winners	1957.03.19	Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Shelly Manne (d)
Miles Davis Sextet	1958.05.26	Miles Davis (tp), Cannonball Adderley (as), John Coltrane (ts), Bill Evans (p), Paul Chambers (b), Jimmy Cobb (d)
Bill Evans Trio	1959.01.19	Bill Evans (p), Paul Chambers (b), Philly Joe Jones (d)
Eric Dolphy Quintet	1960.04.01	Eric Dolphy (cl), Freddie Hubbard (tp), Jaki Byard (p), George Tucker (b), Roy Haynes (d)
Milt Jackson & Oscar Peterson Trio	1961.09.15	Milt Jackson (vib), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Ed Thigpen (d)
Ahmad Jamal Trio	1961.??.??	Ahmad Jamal (p), Israel Crosby (b), Vernell Fournier (d)
Grant Green Quartet	1961.12.23	Grant Green (g), Sonny Clark (p), Sam Jones (b), Louis Hayes (d)
Al Grey Septet	1962.02.19	Al Grey (tb), Dave Burns (tp), Billy Mitchell (ts), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Floyd Morris (p), Herman Wright (b), Eddie Williams (d)
Sonny Rollins Quartet	1965.07.08	Sonny Rollins (ts), Ray Bryant (p), Walter Booker (b), Mickey Roker (d)
Joe Henderson & Winton Kelly Trio	1968.04.21	Joe Henderson (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b), Jimmy Cobb (d)
Lee Konitz Quartet	1974.09.30	Lee Konitz (as), Martial Solal (p), David Holland (b), Jack DeJohnette (d)
Rhoda Scott & Kenny Clarke	1977.05.11	Rhoda Scott (org), Kenny Clarke (d)
Herbie Hancock	1978.10.25	Herbie Hancock (p)
Marian McPartland Trio	1979.08.11	Marian McPartland (p), Brian Torff (b), Jake Hanna (d) with Mary Fettig (as)
Stan Getz Quartet	1987.07.06	Stan Getz (ts), Kenny Barron (p), Rufus Reid (b), Victor Lewis (d)
Walter Norris Trio	1990.09.14	Walter Norris (p), Neil Swainson (b), Harold Jones (d)

Vocal

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
George Shearing Quintet with Nancy Wilson	1960.07.05	George Shearing (p), Eddie Costa (vib), Dick García (g), George Duvivier (b), Walter Bolden (d), Nancy Wilson (voc)
Mark Murphy	1961.09.19	Mark Murphy (voc), Bernie Glow, Ernie Royal, Joe Wilder (tp), Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green (tb), Wynton Kelly (p), Barry Galbraith (g), George Duvivier (b), Jimmy Cobb (d)
Sarah Vaughan	1962.02.??	Sarah Vaughan (voc), Quincy Jones Orchestra
Mel Tormé	1962.07.11	Mel Tormé (voc), Shorty Rogers Orchestra
Sheila Jordan	1977.08.27	Sheila Jordan (voc), Arild Andersen (b)
George Benson with Count Basie Orchestra	1990.??.??	George Benson (voc, g), Bob Ojeda, Byron Stripling, Mike Williams, Sonny Cohn (tp), Bill Hughes, Clarence Banks, Mel Wanzo (tb), Danny Turner (as), David Glasser, Doug Miller, Frank Foster, John Williams, Kenneth Hing, Tim Williams (sax), Carl Carter (p), Charlton Johnson (g), Cleveland Eaton (b), Duffy Jackson (d)

On cinemas

The song 'On Green Dolphin Street' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

ORIGINAL TITLE	TITLE IN SPAIN	YEAR OF PRODUCTION	PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM
Green Dolphin Street	La calle del Delfín Verde	1947	Mel Tormé
The Prize	El premio	1963
Zigzag	Zig, zag, falso testimonio	1970	Anita O’Day
The Score	Un golpe maestro	2001	Cassandra Wilson