ccxxxvii. MODERN JAZZ QUARTET
from: Django.
If you happen to wonder who could have written such a lovely song, consider the career and life of Vladimir Aleksandrovich Dukelsky, born in 1903 into a noble family of mixed Georgian-Austrian-Spanish-Russian descent, and who was admitted to the Kiev Conservatory at age eleven and studied with Reinhold Glière and befriended Prokofiev.
Escaping the civil war, his family made their way to America, where he immediately met Jacob Gershowitz, who suggested he truncate his last name to "Duke" and Vernon Duke was born (at the suggestion of the aforementioned George Gershwin, who had done the same!)
Dukelsky actually composed a lot of classical music before turning to songwriting. He wrote a ballet for Diaghelev -- Zephyr and Flora -- to critical acclaim.
April in Paris (1932) was his first big hit, followed a few years later by this one -- which was not written for any specific show, but which he offered to the producers of Thumbs Up! -- a revue which opened in late '34 and closed in May of 1935.
**
Jackson can be heard softly moaning and grunting, but it shouldn't bother you too much. The quartet is always solid, Lewis on the beat, Clarke smooth with brushes.
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