If Shakespeare was ever going to be credited with a jazz standard, it would have to be “Darn That Dream.” The song was inspired by the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but nearly disappeared as quickly as any night vision.
“Darn That Dream” was eventually saved and turned into a standard by Benny Goodman and, later, Miles Davis.
The song was written for a Broadway play called Swingin’ the Dream in 1939, and followed Shakespeare’s theme that love is nothing but a fantasy. The Broadway play bombed, only managing 13 performances. But luckily for authors Jimmy Van Heusen and Eddie DeLange, Benny Goodman was the musical supervisor for the production. Goodman teamed up with Mildred Bailey in 1940 and turned it into a No. 1 hit.
The song’s lyrics are sung by a character who is tragically in love, because that love only exists in their mind. Such fancies were a luxury at that time, as the world was facing a reality of hatred and world war. That’s likely why the song was forgotten until Miles Davis did a version when recording Birth of the Cool in the late 1940s.
Davis’ take didn’t actually make it onto a recording until 1972, but it was enough of an influence that almost every major jazz musician offered their own interpretation. “Darn That Dream” is now the 70th most recorded jazz standard.
Listening to the versions, one can’t help but ache for the character’s plight. They desperately love this person and hold fast to the prospect of being with them – all while knowing this love is not returned. We can relate to the universal ache the singer is experiencing, and it is the song’s confession that draws us even closer.
Here are the versions that best capture the tension between the song’s moments of hope and despair:
No. 10. JIMMY SCOTT AND WYNTON MARSALIS (BUT BEAUTIFUL, 2002): Jimmy Scott was a master of milking sad ballads. The song is perfect for his heartfelt, idiosyncratic voice. Wynton Marsalis provided a rich tapestry for Scott to work with, offering plain solos to allow for the listener to contemplate the lyrics.
No. 9. BILLIE HOLIDAY (BODY AND SOUL, 1957): “Darn That Dream” is a perfect lament for Billie Holiday’s weathered vocal. She was close to her tragic death by 1957, and brings all the sadness of her life into this recording.
No. 8. AHMAD JAMAL (CHAMBER MUSIC OF THE NEW JAZZ, 1956): Ahmad Jamal clearly had a fondness for “Darn That Dream.” He recorded this version in 1955, and then added a series of live recordings that are a treat to watch. Jamal’s takes reveal a joy in the melody which belie the lyrics, but that’s the freedom instrumentalists have with a song as good as this one.
No. 7. CYRILLE AIMEE AND THE SURREAL BAND (LIVE AT BIRDLAND, 2013): This duet with piano is a slow but beautiful version that draws out the character’s late-night pain.
No. 6. TONY BENNETT (CLOUD 7, 1955): Another classic vocalist with an excellent interpretation of “Darn That Dream.” Recorded in 1954 as Bennett’s career was ascending, he reveals a maturity in his approach to the lyrics that became his hallmark. Many vocalists simply dial in their classics, but Tony Bennett offers a unique voice to the standard.
No. 5. KURT ROSENWINKEL (INTUIT, 1999): It’s a pleasure to listen to a modern guitarist give such care to an old standard. Kurt Rosenwinkel offers his signature runs, but he never ventures too far from the melody.
No. 4. DEXTER GORDON (SWISS NIGHTS VOL. 2, 1978): Dexter Gordon has a few versions of “Darn That Dream,” but the extended version on Swiss Nights Vol. 2 is the best. No one, and I mean no one, does tenor ballads better than Dexter, and his approach is on full display with this song. His playing is so emotive, he might as well be singing.
No. 3. BENNY GOODMAN AND MILDRED BAILEY (THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA RECORDING SESSIONS VOL. 3, 1940): The version that started it all: Benny Goodman and Mildred Bailey’s version absolutely stands the test of time. The band offers an uplifting backdrop, playing up the hopeful side of the lyric, while Bailey’s lilt ensures the sadness is fully apparent.
No. 2. MILES DAVIS (THE COMPLETE BIRTH OF THE COOL, 1998): Benny Goodman’s arrangement sets up perfectly for Miles Davis’ approach with Birth of the Cool, and that must have appealed to Davis. Singer Kenny Hagood delivers the absolute standard for nailing the emotive tone for the lyrics. This is the version that set the bar for every other interpretation, and still holds up as the classic.
No. 1. TIZIANA GHIGLIONI, ENRICO RAVA and MAL WALDRON (I’LL BE AROUND, 1991): Legend Mal Waldron is no stranger to playing for vocalists, once backing Billie Holiday, and his experience catapults the top version. He largely eschews his signature dissonant, dark rumbles for a lighter plaintive voice, while Tiziana Ghiglioni offers an innocent perspective that’s different from most vocalists. Enrico Rava’s trumpet solo is also clean and eloquent. Just an astonishing, gorgeously executed version of the tune.
From the Broadway scrap heap to a widely interpreted jazz standard, “Darn That Dream” has had quite the journey. It tells a tragic story of a deep love that only exists in a dream. Shakespeare would certainly bless it too.
