Phone
Tablet - Portrait
Tablet - Landscape
Desktop
Toggle navigation
Performers
Steinway Performers
Albright, Charlie
Anderson, Greg
Arishima, Miyako
Benoit, David
Biegel, Jeffrey
Birnbaum, Adam
Braid, David
Brown, Deondra
Brown, Desirae
Brown, Gregory
Brown, Melody
Brown, Ryan
Caine, Uri
Chen, Sean
Chulochnikova, Tatiana
Deveau, David
Farkas, Gabor
Feinberg, Alan
Fung, David
Gagne, Chantale
Golan, Jeanne
Goodyear, Stewart
Graybil, Matthew
Gryaznov, Vyacheslav
Gugnin, Andrey
Han, Anna
Han, Yoonie
Iturrioz, Antonio
Khristenko, Stanislav
Kim, Daniel
Li, Zhenni
Lin, Jenny
Lo Bianco, Moira
Lu, Shen
Mahan, Katie
Mao, Weihui
Melemed, Mackenzie
Min, Klara
Mndoyants, Nikita
Moutouzkine, Alexandre
Mulligan, Simon
Myer, Spencer
O'Conor, John
O'Riley, Christopher
Osterkamp, Leann
Paremski, Natasha
Perez, Vanessa
Petersen, Drew
Polk, Joanne
Pompa-Baldi, Antonio
Rangell, Andrew
Roe, Elizabeth Joy
Rose, Earl
Russo, Sandro
Schepkin, Sergei
Scherbakov, Konstantin
Shin, ChangYong
Tak, Young-Ah
Ziegler, Pablo
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Back 1 step
Edward "Duke" Ellington
Edward "Duke" Ellington
Satin Doll
Interpretations
About This Work
Performers
Refine by: Performers
All
Mulligan, Simon
Labels
Labels
All
Steinway & Sons
Controls
Cover
Artists
Label
Movements
Simon Mulligan
Steinway & Sons / 30085
×
Add To Playlist
Success
This selection has been added.
Playlist
Create
Cancel
Confirm
Cancel
About This Work
Biographer Don George recalls that whenever Duke Ellington would introduce his famous tune "Satin Doll," he would preface it with a curious dedication. "This next song is dedicated to the most beautiful lady here. We will not point her out because we do not want her to feel conspicuous. We will just let her sit there and continue to feel guilty." One of the most familiar pieces in Ellington's legacy, "Satin Doll" was first recorded in 1953, well into the Duke's mature career, but just as he was beginning to gain widespread public acclaim as a national cultural asset. The tune, written in collaboration with saxophonist, arranger, and composer Billy Strayhorn to words by lyricist Johnny Mercer, is an exercise in simplicity. The verse consists of a doodling two-note stepwise figure reiterated three times at higher pitch levels above a chord progression that takes on a simple shape, but upon closer inspection, introduces some characteristically off-kilter harmonies. The subsequent melody of the bridge section is similarly straightforward, with a descending and rising diatonic scalar motion. The result can be a coy, austere elegance that draws attention to the specifics of arrangement and/or performance, such as piano textures or orchestration. In more aggressive versions, the tune's energy derives from its brash hip-shaking syncopations, dropping the upper notes of the "doodling" melody squarely on the offbeats. Despite its eventual popularity and virtual canonization, "Satin Doll" was not initially a staple of Ellington's orchestra. After hearing a performance of the tune by pianist Billy Taylor, who had recorded a version of his own and who played it regularly, Ellington decided to include the song in his ensemble's regular repertoire. With the widespread fame that Ellington and his group enjoyed during the subsequent years, "Satin Doll" became a favorite jazz standard.
×
Add To Playlist
Success
This selection has been added.
Playlist
Create
Cancel
Confirm
Cancel
C940AB33E1BBA742F796D396CE2FC632