Angel Eyes (1946 song)

"Angel Eyes" is a 1946 popular song composed by Matt Dennis, with lyrics by Earl Brent. It was introduced in the 1953 film Jennifer. In the film, Matt Dennis sings the song and accompanies himself on piano, while Ida Lupino and Howard Duff among others are dancing to it.

Composition


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"Angel Eyes" is a jazz standard which has inspired many interpretations. Many singers have recorded versions of the song, including Nat King Cole (already in 1953), Frank Sinatra, June Christy with Stan Kenton, Chet Baker, Shirley Bassey, Neil Sedaka, Willie Nelson with Ray Charles, and Sting. Ella Fitzgerald, who recorded "Angel Eyes" at least four times, named it her favorite song. Instrumental versions were recorded not as often as vocal takes, by the likes of Benny Carter, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Dave Brubeck, Kenny Burrell, Joe Albany, and more recently by McCoy Tyner, Gary Thomas and Joe Lovano.

Selected recorded versions

Performer Album Year Source
Karrin Allyson In Blue 2002
Gene Ammons Angel Eyes 1960
Ernestine Anderson Ernestine Anderson Swings the Penthouse 2015
Chet Baker with Len Mercer and His Orchestra Chet Baker with Fifty Italian Strings 1960
Shirley Bassey Shirley Bassey 1961
Cheryl Bentyne and Rob Wasserman Duets 1988
James Booker Classified 1982
Dee Dee Bridgewater Keeping Tradition 1993
The Dave Brubeck Quartet Angel Eyes 1966
Ray Bryant Ray Bryant Trio 1957
Kenny Burrell Blues – The Common Ground 1968
Royce Campbell Trioing 2002
Benny Carter Cosmopolite 1954
June Christy Impromptu 1977
Nat King Cole with Billy May and His Orchestra single 1953
Chris Connor Chris in Person 1959
Hank Crawford More Soul 1961
Sonny Criss Saturday Morning 1975
Matt Dennis Matt Dennis Plays and Sings Matt Dennis 1954
Paul Desmond Glad to Be Unhappy 1965
Ray Draper with John Coltrane A Tuba Jazz 1959
Kat Edmonson Take to the Sky 2009
Eliane Elias Love Stories 2019
Ella Fitzgerald Ella in Rome: The Birthday Concert 1958
Roberta Flack Roberta 1994
Fonseca Sinfónico 2014
The Four Freshmen Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones 1955
Earl Grant Beyond the Reef 1962
Jim Hall Jim Hall Live! 1975
Jack Jones Wives and Lovers 1959
Stan Kenton and June Christy Road Show 1959
Moe Koffman Devil's Brew 1996
k.d. lang We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song 2007
Yusef Lateef The Dreamer 1959
Joe Lovano Rush Hour 1994
Barry Manilow Manilow Sings Sinatra 1998
Wynton Marsalis with Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Wynton Marsalis' First Recordings 1980
Johnny Mathis Johnny Mathis 1956
Mina Mazzini Mina 1964
Carmen McRae Book of Ballads 1960
Helen Merrill with Gary Peacock Trio Sposin' 1971
The Modern Jazz Quartet Fontessa 1956
Mark Murphy Rah! 1961
Willie Nelson American Classic 2009
Willie Nelson with Ray Charles Angel Eyes 1984
Phineas Newborn Jr. Phineas' Rainbow 1957
Anita O'Day Waiter, Make Mine Blues 1960
Duke Pearson Angel Eyes 1968
Oscar Peterson Pastel Moods 1956
Sue Raney Breathless! 1997
Jimmy Scott All the Way 1992
Neil Sedaka Circulate 1961
George Shearing Favorite Things 1997
Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely 1958
Kandace Springs with Norah Jones The Women Who Raised Me 2020
Sting Leaving Las Vegas 1995
Gary Thomas Till We Have Faces 1992
Bob Thompson Just for Kicks 1959
Rebecka Törnqvist A Night Like This 1993
McCoy Tyner The Turning Point 1991
Nancy Wilson Welcome to My Love 1968

This page was last updated at 2022-03-14 08:09 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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