Drop Me Off in Harlem
"Drop Me Off in Harlem" is a 1933 song composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Nick Kenny.[1]
A.H. Lawrence writes that the song originated from an off the cuff remark from Ellington. Nick Kenny had hailed a taxi, and offered to share it with Ellington. Kenny asked "Where to, Duke?", and Ellington replied "Drop me off at Harlem". Kenny then fashioned lyrics from Ellington's remark and presented him with them a few days later at the Cotton Club.[2]
Notable recordings
- Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, February 17, 1933
- Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (1958)
- Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong on The Great Summit (1961, re released 2001)
- Richie Kamuca - Drop Me Off at Harlem (1975)
- Ran Blake - Duke Dreams (1981)
- Sun Ra - Nuclear War (1982)
- George Shearing Quintet - "Back To Birdland" (Telarc 2001)
Notes
- ↑ Lawrence, A.H. Duke Ellington and His World (New York: Routledge, 2003), 189.
- ↑ Lawrence, A.H. Duke Ellington and His World (New York: Routledge, 2003), 189.
See also
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