Lullaby of Birdland
| "Lullaby of Birdland" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1952 |
| Genre | Jazz, pop |
| Composer(s) | George Shearing |
| Lyricist(s) | George David Weiss |
"Lullaby of Birdland" is a 1952 popular song composed by George Shearing with lyrics by George David Weiss under the pseudonym "B. Y. Forster" to circumvent the rule that ASCAP and BMI were forbidden from collaborating. The song has become a jazz standard.[1][2][3][4] The title refers to Charlie "Bird" Parker and the Birdland jazz club named after him.
Notable recordings
The song has been recorded by many vocal and instrumental performers, including Ella Fitzgerald, the Blue Stars of France (a Billboard top twenty hit in 1956, sung in French), Lionel Hampton, Chris Connor, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Tormé, Erroll Garner, Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, Aoi Teshima, jazz bandleader Count Basie, Japanese R&B singer DOUBLE, Nikki Yanofsky, pianist Friedrich Gulda, the 12 cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Korean singer Insooni, Finnish singer Olavi Virta (in Finnish), Vietnamese singer Tùng Dương, Spanish singer Andrea Motis (with a Bach-like three voice fugue based on the song theme by pianist Ignasi Terraza) and Italian singer Mina. A live version is included on the album Amy Winehouse at the BBC by Amy Winehouse. Winehouse also sampled the song in the track "October Song" from her debut album, Frank. In Stan Freberg's comic version of "The Great Pretender", the jazz pianist ad libs the first six notes of "Lullaby of Birdland", before the singer angrily shouts "WATCH IT!!" Other versions include Joni James, Wild Bill Davis, Anita Kerr Singers, Chet Atkins, Ralph Marterie, McGuire Sisters, Floyd Cramer, Frank Chacksfield, Hugo Montenegro, and Ray Conniff.
See also
References
- ↑ "Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Lullaby of Birdland)". www.jazzstandards.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ↑ The Real Book (Sixth ed.). Hal Leonard. 2004. p. 256. ISBN 0-634-06038-4.
- ↑ The Real Vocal Book. Volume I. (2nd., high voice ed.). Hal Leonard. 2006. ISBN 0-634-06080-5.
- ↑ Real jazz book C (2. uppl ed.). Warner/Chappell Music Scandinavia. ISBN 978-91-85041-36-7.