Sophisticated Lady

"Sophisticated Lady" is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington, with additional credit given to publisher Irving Mills, and to which words were added by Mitchell Parish. The words met with approval from Ellington, who described them as "wonderful—but not entirely fitted to my original conception."

That original conception was inspired by three of Ellington's grade school teachers. "They taught all winter and toured Europe in the summer. To me that spelled sophistication."

Duke Ellington’s early vocalist Adelaide Hall recorded two versions of 'Sophisticated Lady'. In 1944 on the Decca label (Decca – F. 8467) and in the soundtrack of the 1989 movie documentary about her life titled ‘Sophisticated Lady’. Miss Hall recorded with Ellington on several occasions - in 1927, 1932 and 1933. Another version of Adelaide Hall singing 'Sophisticated Lady' can be found on footage from British TV in the 1987 Terry Wogan Show.

Arild Andresen, piano with guitar and bass recorded it in Oslo on March 11, 1955 as the first melody of the medley "Klaver-Cocktail Nr. 3" and "With a Song in My Heart" and "Flamingo". The medley was released on the 78 rpm record His Master's Voice A.L. 3514.

The song has been covered in more contemporary times by the rock band Chicago, on their back-to-the-roots disc, Night & Day: Big Band.

Billie Holiday recorded the song with her Orchestra composed by Harry Edison on trumpet, Ben Webster on tenor saxophone, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Alvin Stoller on drums) on August 18, 1956 in Los Angeles. The song is featured on her All or Nothing at All released in 1958 through Verve Records.

Linda Ronstadt recorded the song with Nelson Riddle for the album "Lush Life" (1984).

In 1987, guitarist Larry Coryell covered the song from his album "Toku Do".

In 2005, another instrumentalist Marcus Miller covered the song from his album "Silver Rain".