Midnight Sun (Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke song)

"Midnight Sun" (1954) 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. One famous recording of the song with the Mercer lyrics is by Ella Fitzgerald on her 1957 album Like Someone in Love. Fitzgerald recorded the song again for her 1964 album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook. She recorded it for a third time in 1975 with jazz pianist Oscar Peterson on the Pablo release Ella and Oscar.

Story behind the lyrics

According to Philip Furia,^[1] 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.

Notable recordings

• Lionel Hampton Orchestra – Original instrumental recording in 1947 (Decca L 4546), Lionel Hampton Apollo Hall Concert 1954 (1955), on single featuring Buddy Rich on drums recorded in 1955 (Clef, later on Here's Gates), Hamp in Japan (1966), and Live in Europe (1980)
• Tony Bennett – The Good Things in Life (1972)
• Dee Dee Bridgewater – Dear Ella (1997), Live at Yoshi's (1998)
• Chuck Brown - Go Go Swing Live (1986)
• Kate Ceberano – Kate Ceberano and her Septet (1987)
• June Christy – Something Cool (1954), Road Show (1959), A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening (1986)
• Holly Cole – Shade (2003)
• Lou Donaldson – Midnight Sun (1960, released 1980), Musty Rusty (1966)
• Bob Dorough – Devil May Care (1956)
• Duke Ellington's Spacemen – The Cosmic Scene (1958)
• Ellery Eskelin – Trio New York II (instrumental, 2013)
• Art Farmer and Bill Evans – Modern Art (1958, released 2004)
• Ella Fitzgerald – Like Someone in Love (1957), Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook (1964), and Ella and Oscar (1975)
• Renée Fleming – Haunted Heart (2005)
• The Four Freshmen – More 4 Freshmen and 5 Trombones (1964)
• Coleman Hawkins – single recorded 1952 (The Hawk Talks, 1958, on various compilations)
• Ahmad Jamal - Digital Works (1985)
• Harry James - Dancing In Person With Harry James At The Hollywood Palladium (Columbia CL-562, 1954)
• Al Jarreau – Accentuate the Positive (2004)
• Quincy Jones featuring Al Jarreau – The 75th Birthday Celebration (2009)
• Stan Kenton and His Orchestra – Road Show (1959)
• Barney Kessel – Vol. 3: To Swing or Not to Swing (1955)
• Abbey Lincoln – Wholly Earth (1998)
• Julie London – Julie (1958)
• Arthur Lyman – Call of the Midnight Sun (1965)
• Rebecca Martin – Middlehope (2001)
• Brother Jack McDuff – The Midnight Sun (1963, released 1968)
• Carmen McRae – "Live" & Wailing (1968)
• Willie Mitchell – The Many Moods of Willie Mitchell (1969)
• Paul Motian Trio 2000 + Two – On Broadway Volume 5 (2008)
• Cæcilie Norby – First Conversation (2002)
• Art Pepper, Bob Cooper et al. – Showcase for Modern Jazz (1957)
• Tito Puente – The Exciting Tito Puente Band in Hollywood (1962)
• Flora Purim – Midnight Sun (1988)
• Dianne Reeves – When You Know (2008)
• Diane Schuur and Maynard Ferguson – Swingin' for Schuur (2001)
• Jimmy Smith – A New Sound... A New Star... (1956)
• Jo Stafford – Jo + Jazz (1960)
• Mel Tormé – A Vintage Year (1987)
• Bobby Troup – The Songs of Bobby Troup (1955)
• Sarah Vaughan – Sarah Sings Soulfully (1963)
• Nancy Wilson – Lush Life (1967)

References