Lullaby Of Birdland

Album: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald (1954)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This Bop standard was composed by Anglo-American jazz pianist George Shearing in 1952. The song celebrates the famous New York jazz club Birdland, named after the saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker, which was a venue for many leading Jazz musicians.
  • This tune has been recorded by many other vocal and instrumental performers, including Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme and Blue Stars. The latter were a Paris-based 4-man, 4-woman pop-jazz group led by former American big band vocalist, Blossom Dearie, whose version arranged by Michael Legrand reached #16 in the US singles chart in 1956.

Comments: 3

  • Linda Macrae from Hamilton CanadaElla was one of the true greats of America’s vocalists in the early jazz era, and also a wonderful interpreter of modern American ballads - Cole Porter, Oscar Hammerstein, George Gershwin, et al! So glad her music is still with us and played today. A tribute to her
    great talent. I was a visitor to Birdland all those many years ago! Love Ella’s version!
  • Frederic from VirginiaBirdland became famous for the live broadcasts made there. The club's owner, Morris Levy, asked George to record a theme song for the show. But Shearing didn’t like the song that Levy gave him, so he offered to write one especially for the show.
  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaI think George composed this wilhe he was playing at Birdland....or so i have heard.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.

Judas Priest

Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton talk twin guitar harmonies and explain how they create songs in Judas Priest.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."