Additional credit is given to publisher Irving Mills whose words were added to the song by Mitchell Parish. The words met with approval from Ellington, who described them as "wonderful—but not entirely fitted to my original conception". That original conception was inspired by three of Ellington's grade-school teachers. "They taught all winter and toured Europe in the summer. To me that spelled sophistication."[1][2] It has also been suggested that the title refers to his longtime companion, Mildred Dixon.[3]
Lawrence Brown, the trombone player in Ellington's band at the time, claimed that he was responsible for the main hook in the A section of the tune. Ellington paid him $15 for his contribution, but he was never officially credited.[4]
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra introduced "Sophisticated Lady" in 1933[5][2] with an instrumental recording of the song that featured solos by Toby Hardwick on alto sax, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Lawrence Brown on trombone and Ellington on piano. The recording entered the charts on 27 May 1933 and rose to number three.[6][2]
Singer Adelaide Hall recorded with Ellington in 1927, 1932, and 1933,[7] but only recorded two versions of "Sophisticated Lady", in 1944 (with Phil Green And His Rhythm)[8] and in 1976, on her album Hall of Ellington.[9] The song appeared on the soundtrack of the 1989/90 documentary celebrating her life entitled Sophisticated Lady.[10]
In his autobiography Music Is My Mistress, Ellington writes that "George Gershwin once told Oscar Levant that he wished he had written the bridge to Sophisticated Lady, and that made me very proud".[11]
^ abcdefghijklmnGioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 389. ISBN978-0-19-993739-4.
^Charles R. Saunders in The Spirit of Africville, Halifax: Maritext/Formac, 1992, p. 35.
^Gioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. Oxford University Press. p. 387.
