POLKA DOTS AND MOONBEAMS

Music: Jimmy Van Heusen- Lyrics: Johnny Burke

Year: 1940

 

polka dots and moonbeans-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

Trumpeter and bandleader Harry James hired Frank Sinatra after listening to him on a New York radio station. They worked together in nine recording sessions for the Columbia label from July 8 through November 8, 1939. Shortly afterwards, Sinatra joined Tommy Dorsey's orchestra. His first success with this band was the ballad 'Polka Dots and Moonbeams', which he recorded on 4 March 1940. The album reached the eighteenth place on the charts, where it only held for a week.

Since the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s, Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke wrote mainly for Bing Crosby. And Crosby's films were so successful that they became known as the 'Golden Twins'. They didn't just compose for the movies. For example, 'Polka Dots and Moonbeams' and 'Imagination', both from 1939, were commissioned by Tommy Dorsey and had nothing to do with the screen.


Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

 

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

1940.03.04

1940.04.27

1

18

Frank Sinatra (voc)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Claude Thornhill Orchestra

1947.11.??

Claude Thornhill (p, dir), Louis Mucci, Red Rodney, Eddie Zandy (tp), Allan Langstaff, Tak Takvorian (tb), Sandy Siegelstein, Fred Schmidt (tpa), Bill Barber (tu), Danny Polo (cl), Lee Konitz (as), Mickey Folus, Mario Rollo (ts), Bill Bushey (bars), Barry Galbraith (g), Joe Shulman (b), Bill Exner (d)

Lester Young Quartet

1950.03.??

Lester Young (ts), Hank Jones (p), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (d)

Bud Powell Trio

1953.08.14

Bud Powell (p), George Duvivier (b), Art Taylor (d)

Gerry Mulligan Sextet

1954.12.14

Jon Eardley (tp), Gerry Mulligan (bars), Bob Brookmeyer (vtb, p), Zoot Sims (ts), Red Mitchell (b), Larry Bunker (d)

Hampton Hawes Trio

1956.01.25

Hampton Hawes (p), Red Mitchell (b), Chuck Thompson (d)

Donald Byrd Quartet

1956.05.07

Donald Byrd (tp), Ray Santisi (p), Doug Watkins (b), Jimmy Zitano (d)

Elmo Hope All Star Sextet

1956.05.07

Donald Byrd (tp), John Coltrane, Hank Mobley (ts), Elmo Hope (p), Paul Chambers (b), Philly Joe Jones (d)

Count Basie Orchestra

1957.07.07

Count Basie (p, dir), Wendell Culley, Roy Eldridge, Reunald Jones, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Henry Coker, Bill Hughes, Benny Powell (tb), Bill Graham (as), Marshall Royal (as, cl), Frank Foster, Lester Young (ts), Frank Wess (ts, fl), Charlie Fowlkes (bars), Freddie Greene (g), Eddie Jones (b),

Jo Jones (d)

Chet Baker Quartet

1958.09.??

Chet Baker (tp), Al Haig (p), Paul Chambers (b), Philly Joe Jones (d)

Blue Mitchell Sextet

1959.09.28

Blue Mitchell (tp), Curtis Fuller (tb), Jimmy Heath (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Sam Jones (b), Philly Joe Jones (d)

Wes Montgomery Quartet

1960.01.26

Wes Montgomery (g), Tommy Flanagan (p), Percy Heath (b), Albert Heath (d)

Bill Evans Trio

1962.06.05

Bill Evans (p), Chuck Israels (b), Paul Motian (d)

Paul Desmond Quartet

1963.06.05

Paul Desmond (as), Jim Hall (g), Eugene Cherico (b), Connie Kay (d)

Bill Evans Trio

1967.05.26

Bill Evans (p), Eddie Gómez (b), Philly Joe Jones (d)

Dexter Gordon Quartet

1975.09.13

Dexter Gordon (ts), Philip Catherine (g), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Billy Higgins (d)

Marian McPartland Trio

1978.12.??

Marian McPartland (p), Brian Torff  (b), Jake Hanna (d)

Art Blakey Jazz Messengers

1985.04.13

Terence Blanchard (tp), Donald Harrison (as), Jean Toussaint (ts), Mulgrew Miller (p), Lonnie Plaxico (b), Art Blakey (d)

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

1940.03.04

Tommy Dorsey (tb, dir), Bunny Berigan, Zeke Zarchey, Ray Linn, Jimmy Blake (tp), Lowell Martin, Ward Silloway, George Arus, Dave Jacobs (tb), Hymie Schertzer (as), Fred Stulce, Johnny Mince (as, cl), Babe Russin, Paul Mason (ts), Bob Kitsis (p), Al Viola (g), Ray Leatherford (b), Buddy Rich (d), Frank Sinatra (voc)

Oscar Peterson Trio

1953.05.21

Oscar Peterson (p, voc), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b)

Sarah Vaughan

1954.04.02

Sarah Vaughan (voc), John Malachi (p), Joe Benjamin (b), Roy Haynes (d)

Lena Horne

1959.01.05

Lena Horne (voc), Lennie Hayton Orchestra

Cassandra Wilson

1988.02.??

Cassandra Wilson (voc), Mulgrew Miller (p), Lonnie Plaxico (b), Terri Lyne Carrington (d)

On cinemas

 The song 'Polka Dots and Moonbeams' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

 

ORIGINAL TITLE

TITLE IN SPAIN

YEAR OF PRODUCTION

PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM

Hannah and Her Sisters

Hannah y sus hermanas

1986

Dick Hyman

Crimes and Misdemeanors

Delitos y faltas

1989

The Wedding Band

Autumn in New York

Otoño en Nueva York

2000

 

Black Mass

Black Mass. Estrictamente criminal

2015

Wes Montgomery

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