Midnight Sun (Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke song)

"Midnight Sun" was originally an instrumental composed by Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke in 1947 and is now considered a jazz standard. Subsequently, Johnny Mercer wrote the words to the song.

First recording

"Midnight Sun" was first recorded by Lionel Hampton himself and his orchestra in a Los Angeles studio on November 10, 1947, with solos by Hampton and trumpeter Wendell Culley (Decca Matrix L 4546).[1][2] First releases on the Decca label were on the B-side of 10-inch shellack singles, where the song was coupled with either "Blow-Top Blues" composed by Leonard Feather and played by the Hampton Sextet with "lovely"[3] vocals by Sarah Vaughan (Decca 28059), or "Three Minutes on 52nd Street",[4] another Hampton original recorded with the orchestra (Decca 28059 and Brunswick 03780 in the UK).[1][5]

The lyrics

According to Philip Furia, Johnny Mercer was driving along the freeway from Palm Springs to Hollywood, California, when he heard the instrumental on his car radio and started to set words to the song as he drove.[6] The lyrics were first recorded by June Christy for her 1954 album Something Cool. One famous recording of the song with the Mercer lyrics is by Ella Fitzgerald on her album Like Someone in Love from 1957. Fitzgerald recorded the song again in 1964 for her album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook and once more in 1978. "Midnight Sun" also became part of the repertoire of Carmen McRae after she recorded it first in 1955. Tribute albums to both singers by following jazz vocalists like Dee Dee Bridgewater or Vanessa Rubin included the song associated with them, just like Natalie Cole sang the song in a tribute show called "We Love Ella" at the University of Southern California's Galen Center in 2007.[7]

Recordings

"V" indicates vocal recordings with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Other entries are instrumental interpretations of the composition.

Date Artist Album V Notes
1947Lionel Hampton Orchestrasingle (Decca L 4546)[1]first recording of the song; reissued in 1948 on New Movements in Be-Bop[8][2]
1952Coleman Hawkinssingle (various 7-inch and 10-inch)[9][10]with Orchestra arranged and conducted by Danny Mendelsohn; album release 1958 on The Hawk Talks
1953Les Brown and His Band of Renownsinglearranged by Frank Comstock[11]
1953Les Brown and His Band of RenownConcert at the Palladium (Vol. 2)live recording of the Comstock arrangement, released as 7-inch EP and various LP editions[12][13]
1953Page Cavanaugh Triosingle[14]
1954June ChristySomething Coolvfirst vocal recording of the song, with orchestra led by Pete Rugolo. The initial mono 10-inch was entirely re-recorded in stereo in 1960.
1954Harry JamesDancing in Person with Harry James at the Hollywood Palladiumarrangement by Neal Hefti
1955Lionel Hampton and His OrchestraApollo Hall Concert 1954
1955Lionel Hamptonsinglefeaturing Buddy Rich on drums, released on Clef, 1963 album release Here's Gates
1955Barney KesselVol. 3: To Swing or Not to Swing
1955Carmen McRaeTorchy!vwith orchestra arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns
1955Bobby TroupThe Songs of Bobby Troupv
1956Bob DoroughDevil May Care[15]v
1956Jimmy SmithA New Sound... A New Star...
1957Ella FitzgeraldLike Someone in Lovev
1957Art Pepper, Bob Cooper et al.Showcase for Modern Jazzoriginally credited to guitarist Howard Lucraft who directed the session[16]
1958Duke Ellington's SpacemenThe Cosmic SceneThe melody is played by the horn section with soloing by Clark Terry and Jimmy Hamilton
1958Teddy Charles and His SextetSalute to Hamp (Flyin' Home)with Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Sims and Art Farmer.[17]
1958Julie LondonJulievwith Jimmy Rowles and His Orchestra
1959Maxwell Davis with Members of the Lionel Hampton OrchestraCompositions of Lionel Hampton and Others...also released as The Stereophonic Sound of Lionel Hampton by the Members of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra
1959Larry ElgartLarry Elgart and His Orchestra
1960June ChristyRoad Showv
1960Lou DonaldsonMidnight Sunfirst released 1980[18]
1960Stan Kenton and His OrchestraRoad Show
1960Jo StaffordJo + Jazz
1962Tito PuenteThe Exciting Tito Puente Band in HollywoodLatin version with Puente playing vibraphone[19]
1963Brother Jack McDuffThe Midnight Sunfirst released in 1968
1963Sarah VaughanSarah Sings Soulfullyvwith a quartet arranged by Gerald Wilson
1964Ella FitzgeraldElla Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbookv
1964The Four FreshmenMore 4 Freshmen and 5 Trombones
1965Arthur LymanCall of the Midnight Sun
1966Lou DonaldsonMusty Rusty
1966Lionel HamptonHamp in Japan / Livewith his orchestra
1967Nancy WilsonLush Lifev
1968Carmen McRae"Live" & Wailingv
1969Willie MitchellThe Many Moods of Willie Mitchell
1972Tony BennettThe Good Things in Lifev
1975Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar PetersonElla and Oscarv
1978Sarah VaughanHow Long Has This Been Going On?v
1980Lionel HamptonLive in Europe
1985Ahmad JamalDigital Works
1986Chuck BrownGo Go Swing Livev
1986June ChristyA Lovely Way to Spend an Eveningv
1987Kate CeberanoKate Ceberano and her Septetv
1987Mel Tormé and George ShearingA Vintage Yearv
1988Flora PurimMidnight Sunv
1994Vanessa RubinI'm Glad There Is You - A Tribute to Carmen McRaev
1997Dee Dee BridgewaterDear Ellav
1998Dee Dee BridgewaterLive at Yoshi'sv
1998Abbey LincolnWholly Earthv
2001Rebecca MartinMiddlehopev
2001Diane Schuur and Maynard FergusonSwingin' for Schuurv
2002Cæcilie NorbyFirst Conversationv
2003Holly ColeShadev
2004Al JarreauAccentuate the Positivevarranged by Larry Williams featuring Tollak Ollestad on harmonica[20]
2005Renée FlemingHaunted Heartv
2005Hugh MasekelaAlmost Like Being in Jazz
2007Elizabeth ShepherdBesidesv
2007Natalie ColeWe Love Ella! A Tribute to the First Lady of Songvtribute show with an orchestra directed by co-host Quincy Jones, released on DVD[21]
2008Paul Motian Trio 2000 + TwoOn Broadway Volume 5
2008Dianne ReevesWhen You Knowv
2009Quincy Jones featuring Al JarreauThe 75th Birthday Celebrationv
2010Esperanza SpaldingChamber Music Societyva solo interpretation, only as a bonus track on the Japanese release. She already played the song at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2008.[22]
2013Ellery EskelinTrio New York IIwith organist Gary Versace and Gerald Cleaver on drums
2016Bria SkonbergBriav
2019Krystyna StańkoAquarius - The Orchestral Sessionvorchestrated and directed by Krzysztof Herdzin featuring violinist Mateusz Smoczyński[23]
2021Julius RodriguezMidnight Sun - EP

See also

References
  1. Cf. entry of "Midnight Sun" in the Discography of American Historical Recordings
  2. Audio track on YouTube.
  3. Cook, Richard, Brian Morton (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, 8th Edition, London: Penguin Books, p. 579 ISBN 9780141023274
  4. Besides Charles Mingus who also played bass on "Midnight Sun", the sextet session of June 8, 1947, additionally featured Kenny Dorham. Cf. Cook, Morton, The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, ibid.
  5. See also the liner notes by Burt Korall to Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra (1946-47) - Midnight Sun at Discogs, released on MCA in 1993 and produced by Orrin Keepnews as part of the series GRP Presents the Legendary Masters of Jazz, The Original American Decca Recordings. The booklet scans with full documentation on Discogs are readable.
  6. Furia, Philip (1990). The Poets of Tin Pan Alley. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  7. Natalie Cole's performance with an orchestra directed by Quincy Jones on YouTube.
  8. New Movements In Be-Bop at Discogs
  9. "Coleman Hawkins – Midnight Sun / Spellbound" at Discogs
  10. "Midnight Sun", Decca matrix 82330 in DAHR
  11. Entry in DAHR
  12. Entry in DAHR.
  13. Live recording from September that year at the Hollywood Palladium on YouTube
  14. Entry in DAHR
  15. Devil May Care at Discogs
  16. Showcase for Modern Jazz at Discogs (list of releases)
  17. Salute to Hamp at Discogs
  18. Midnight Sun at Discogs
  19. The Exciting Tito Puente Band in Hollywood at Discogs with audio from YouTube
  20. "Midnight Sun" by Al Jarreau as audio track on YouTube
  21. We Love Ella! at Discogs
  22. Official video of Spalding's solo on YouTube. There are more videos of her playing the song, a.o. at NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, "Midnight Sun" at about 4:10.
  23. "Midnight Sun" by Stańko as audio track on YouTube.
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