Sophisticated Lady (Archie Shepp’s version)

Jeanne Lee (vocals), Archie Shepp (tenor sax), Dave Burrell (piano), Malachi Favors (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). From the album Blasé (1969).

This theme was composed by Duke Ellington in 1932, recorded it for the first time with his big band in 1933 in instrumental form and became a standard. The lyrics were written later by Mitchel Parish. In 1950, the gran virtuoso Art Tatum recorded his solo piano version intrigued by its structure. Shortly thereafter Don Redman and Glen Gray recorded their respective versions with the Casa Loma Orchestra.

When Billy Strayhorn first met Duke Ellington, he was asked to play something on the piano. Strayhorn interpreted “Sophisticated Lady” as Ellington usually did and told him that he would play it differently. Then he changed the key, accelerated the tempo and introduced more and more modifications as he went along. Ellington called baritone saxophonist Harry Carney and asked Strayhorn if he could play it that way again. Before long, Strayhorn was writing for Ellington’s band. The song is hard for the singers because its long intervals are more suitable for the piano than for the human voice and its chord changes are uncomfortable for improvisation. Billy Eckstine took “Sophisticated Lady” back to the charts in the late 1940s and Thelonious Monk recorded a remarkable performance in 1955.

Burrell makes the introduction pounding the piano in a frantic and unbridled way. Next, Lee enters to sing the tune with Shepp accompanying her below. Lee addresses a woman saying that when she was young, love came into her life and a flame lighted in her heart, but one day it blinked and went out. Then she realized that fools in love learn quickly. Time have changed her and now she smokes, drinks and doesn’t think about tomorrow. She have dinner with a man in a restaurant, dance and the diamonds shine, but that’s not what she wants even if she is a sophisticated lady. She misses the love she lost very long ago and when she is alone, she cries. After that Shepp comes in and at first he gets close to the melody of the song, but then he separates and creates his own speech. Next Lee returns and sings the last part of the tune again always along with Shepp and he ends up getting from the saxophone a sharp and pitiful sound.