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Polka Dots and Moonbeams
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Wikipedia article
"'Polka Dots and Moonbeams'" is a popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke, published in 1940. It was Frank Sinatra's first hit recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The song is one of the top 100 most-frequently recorded jazz standards with arrangements by Gil Evans and others and notable recordings by Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Blue Mitchell,Dave Gregg. "Off the record" (music review column), 'Joplin Globe' (Joplin, MO), May 21, 1967, 'Showtime' magazine section, page 9: '"... Blue can play with tenderness without slopping over into mawkish sentimentality. Just listen to his treatment of the gorgeous ballad, 'Polka Dots and Moonbeams.' " '. Wes Montgomery, Sarah Vaughan (for the 1957 album 'Swingin' Easy'), Bud Powell,
Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Lou Donaldson, Dexter Gordon and many others[http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-0/polkadotsandmoonbeams.htm "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" at jazzstandards.com]. Accessed 2009 January. American songwriter and guitarist John Denver also covered the song on his 1976 'Spirit' album. Bob Dylan covered this song in his 2016 album 'Fallen Angels'.
The song has a notable lyric: the man discovers love at a country dance by accidentally bumping into a woman who has a pug nose. The others at the dance look askance at this, since her nose makes her someone they wouldn't think romantically about. But he has the last laugh: she becomes the love of his life, and he settles down with her.
During the song's first year, a fashion designer even created a "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" fabric print as part of a series of prints inspired by popular music.(No author.) "Song hit dress patterns for music as you walk," 'Winnipeg Free Press', June 22, 1940, Magazine section, page 8. Accessed June 27, 2013.
References
Category:Songs with music by Jimmy Van Heusen
Category:Songs with lyrics by Johnny Burke (lyricist)
Category:1940 songs
Category:1940s jazz standards
Category:Jazz compositions in F major
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