´S WONDERFUL

Music: George Gershwin- Lyrics: Ira Gershwin

Year: 1927

 

funny face-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

The musical comedy Funny Face, with libretto by Fred Thompson and Paul Gerard Smith, music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and musical direction by Alfred Newman, premiered on 22 November 1927 at the Alvin Theatre in New York. Their main performers were Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire, William Kent, Victor Moore and Allen Kearns. The opening night, Fred Astaire and Allen Kearns sang ‘'S Wonderful!’ in the first act of the play.

Originally, the title of the play was Smarty, but after a disappointing preview at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia, the musical was revised and renamed Funny Face, which was the affectionate nickname Fred Astaire gave to his sister Adele. Two hundred and forty-four performances were given of the renovated show. On the original score, along with ‘'S Wonderful!’, ‘Funny Face’, ‘Let's Kiss and Make Up’, ‘He Loves and She Loves’, and ‘My One and Only (What Am I Gonna Do?)’, also featured. The same stars performed the musical in London the following season, where the success was repeated, with two hundred and sixty-three performances.

On 13 February 1957, the musical film Funny Face, produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Stanley Donen and starring Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson and Michel Auclair, premiered in the US. It was based on a play titled Wedding Day and four songs from his soundtrack came from the original Broadway show, including ‘’S Wonderful!’ who sang and danced Hepburn and Astaire.


Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

 

Frank Crumit

1927.10.25

1928.01.14

8

5

Frank Crumit (voc), Jack Shilkret (p), Lou Raderman (vn)

The Ipana Troubadors

1927.11.30

1928.03.24

3

12

Scrappy Lambert (voc), Sam Lanin (dir)

Ray Conniff  Orchestra and Chorus

1956.06.18

1957.03.16

4

73

Chorus (vocal)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Benny Goodman Quartet

1938.10.12

Benny Goodman (cl), Teddy Wilson (p), Lionel Hampton (vib), Gene Krupa (d)

Coleman Hawkins Quintet

1944.01.31

Coleman Hawkins (ts), Roy Eldridge (tp), Teddy Wilson (p), Billy Taylor (b), Cozy Cole (d)

Artie Shaw Orchestra

1945.01.09

Artie Shaw (cl, dir), Roy Eldridge, Stan Fishelson, Bernie Glow, George Schwartz, Ray Linn (tp), Gus Dixon, Harry Rodgers, Ollie Wilson, Bob Swift (tb), Louis Prisby, Rudy Tanza (as), Jon Walton, Herbie Steward (ts), Chuck Gentry (bars), Dodo Marmarosa (p), Barney Kessel (g), Morris Rayman (b), Louis Fromm (d)

Dave Brubeck Trio

1950.06.??

Dave Brubeck (p), Ron Grotty (b), Cal Tjader (d, vib)

Sonny Stitt Septet

1950.10.08

Sonny Stitt (ts), Bill Massey (tp), Matthew Gee (tb), Gene Ammons (bars), Junior Mance (p), Gene Wright (b), Wes Landers (d)

Stan Getz Quartet

1950.12.10

Stan Getz (ts), Horace Silver (p), Joe Calloway (b), Walter Bolden (d)

Art Tatum, Benny Carter & Louis Bellson

1954.06.25

Art Tatum (p), Benny Carter (as), Louis Bellson (d)

Johnny Smith Quartet

1954.09.??

Johnny Smith, Perry Lopez (g), Arnold Fishkin (b), Don Lamond (d)

George Van Eps

1956.08.??

George Van Eps (g), Joe Howard (tb), Babe Russen, Ted Nash (ww), Frank Flynn (vib), Jack Ryan, Morty Cobb, Phil Stephens (b), Nick Fatool, Jack Sperling (d), Alvin Stoller (bon), string section, Paul Weston (dir)

Henry 'Red' Allen All Stars

1957.03.27

Henry 'Red' Allen (tp), Coleman Hawkins (ts), J.C. Higginbotham (tb), Buster Bailey (cl), Marty Napoleon (p), Everett Barksdale (g), Lloyd Trotman (b), Cozy Cole (d)

Jimmy Smith Quartet

1957.08.25

Jimmy Smith (org), Lee Morgan (tp), Kenny Burrell (g), Donald Bailey (d)

Red Garland Quartet

1958.04.11

Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (d), Ray Barretto (cng)

Eddie Harris Quintet

1965.08.30

Eddie Harris (ts), Ray Codrington (tp), Cedar Walton (p), Ron Carter (b), Billy Higgins (d)

John Pizzarelli

1992.02.14

John Pizzarelli (g), unidentified orchestra, Dick Lieb (dir)

 

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Lee Wiley

1939.11.13

Lee Wiley (voc), Max Kaminsky (tp), Bud Freeman (ts), Joe Bushkin (p), Artie Shapiro (b), George Wettling (d)

Fred Astaire

1952.12.??

Fred Astaire (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (d)

Helen Merrill

1954.12.22

Helen Merrill (voc), Clifford Brown (tp), Danny Banks (fl, bars), Jimmy Jones (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Milt Hinton (b), Osie Johnson (d), Quincy Jones (dir)

Julie London

1955.07.??

Julie London (voc), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Leatherwood (b)

Joe Williams with Count Basie Orchestra

1956.05.01

Joe Williams (voc), Count Basie (p, dir), Wendell Culley, Reunald Jones, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Henry Coker, Bill Hughes, Benny Powell (tb), Bill Graham, Marshall Royal (as), Frank Foster (ts), Frank Wess (ts, fl), Charlie Fowlkes (bars), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Sonny Payne (d) 

Chris Connor

1957.02.26

Chris Connor (voc), Ralph Sharon (p), Oscar Pettiford (b), Osie Johnson (d)

Ella Fitzgerald

1959.07.16

Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Pete Candoli, Cappy Lewis, Dale McMickie, Shorty Sherock (tp), Richard Noel, Tommy Pederson, James Priddy, George Roberts (tb), Ronnie Lang (as), Chuck Gentry (bars), Red Callender (tu), Buddy Collette, Harry Klee, Champ Webb (ww), Lou Levy (p), Herb Ellis (g), Joe Comfort (b), Alvin Stoller (d), string section, Nelso Riddie (dir)

Susannah McCorkle

1997.10.??

Susannah McCorkle (voc), Allen Farnharn (p, dir), Randy Sandke (tp, fis), Conrad Herwig (tb), Jerry Dodgion (as, fl), Chris Potter (ts, fl), Howard Alden (g), Steve Gilmore or Dick Sarpola (b),

Rich DeRosa (d)

Diana Krall

2001.06.04

Diana Krall (voc, p), Dori Caymmi (g), Christian McBride (b), Jeff Hamilton (d), Paulinho Da Costa (per), Claus Ogerman Orchestra

 

On cinemas

 The song ’S Wonderful!' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

 

ORIGINAL TITLE

TITLE IN SPAIN

YEAR OF PRODUCTION

PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM

Rhapsody in Blue

Rapsodia en blue

1945

A chorus

The Search

Los ángeles perdidos

1948

On a radio

Young Man with a Horn

El trompetista

1950

Kirk Douglas (dubbed by Harry James, tp)

An American in Paris

Un americano en París

1951

Gene Kelly; Georges Guétary

Crime Wave

Ola de crímenes

1954

Doris Day singing in a disc

Funny Face

Una cara con ángel

1957

Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire

Kiss Me, Stupid

Bésame, tonto

1964

Dean Martin

Manhattan

Manhattan

1979

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta (dir)

Torch Song Trilogy

Trilogía de Nueva York

1988

Joe Williams with Count Basie Orchestra

Grumpier Old Men

Discordias a la carta

1995

Doris Day with Les Brown Orchestra

Mona Lisa Smile

La sonrisa de Mona Lisa

2003

Trevor Horn Orchestra

Eat Pray Love

Come, reza, ama

2010

João Gilberto

clasicosdeljazz@gmail.com