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"Prelude to a Kiss" is a 1938 ballad composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills.^[1]

Background and composition

This composition is in the key of D-flat major but makes extensive use of the secondary dominant chords, secondary ii–V–I progressions, diatonic circle of fifths, and evaded cadences.^[2] The song is extremely chromatic and complex, employing sophisticated mathematics that were rare at this time in jazz:^[3] Ellington's rising semitones (G-G#-A-A#-B) at the end of the bridge mirror the opening of both A sections (B-A#-A-G#-G).

By the late 1930s, swing was at the height of its popularity. Using his fame and artistic freedom, Ellington became more ambitious and experimental, writing "Prelude to a Kiss", which abandoned the Tin Pan Alley style hooks and dance tempo for melodic lines and harmonies found more often in classical music.^[4] He recorded this piece as an instrumental in August 1938 before returning to the studio a few weeks later to record it as a vocal number with lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills that were sung by a young and relatively unknown Mary McHugh.^[5] Popular records in 1938 were by Ellington and by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra.^[6]

Reception

Gunther Schuller described "Prelude to a Kiss" as "One of Ellington's finest ballads, although too sophisticated in its weaving melody and chromatic harmonies to gain wide public acceptance."^[7]

Notable recordings

Duke Ellington – Piano Reflections (1953)^[8]
June Christy and Stan Kenton – Duet (1955)^[8]
Billie Holiday with Benny Carter – Velvet Mood (1956)^[8]
Sarah Vaughan - Swingin' Easy (1957)^[9]
Mel Torme - Prelude to a Kiss 1958
Oscar Peterson - Oscar Peterson for Lovers (1959)
Wes Montgomery – One Night in Indy -Resonance- Recorded live in 1959 (released 2016)
Phil Woods – Live from New York (1982)^[8]
Debbie Harry – Prelude to a Kiss soundtrack (1992)
Dee Dee Bridgewater – Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album (1996)
Claudia Acuña – Wind from the South (1999)^[8]
Tony Bennett – Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool (1999)

Notes

^ "Prelude to a Kiss". Jazz Standards. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
^ Hellmer, Jeffrey (1996). Jazz Theory and Practice. Alfred Music. p. 107. ISBN 9780882847221.
^ Green, Edward (2015). The Cambridge Companion to Duke Ellington. Cambridge Companions to Music. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521881197.
^ Gioia, Ted (July 2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199937394.
^ Green, Edward (2015). The Cambridge Companion to Duke Ellington. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521881197.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 569. ISBN 978-0-89820-083-6.
^ Schuller, Gunther (December 1991). The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195071405.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Gioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. New York City: Oxford University Press. pp. 341–342. ISBN 978-0-19-993739-4.
^ "www.allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.