Eckstine was an American jazz singer and bandleader who also played trumpet, valve trombone, and guitar. He also performed briefly as Billy X. Stine. His nickname was Mr. B. Although best known as a singer, his openness to new music made him a strong influence on modern jazz, particularly bebop, as he gave employment to many of the musicians who founded the style.
After singing with the Earl Hines band from 1939 to 1943 he led his own band from 1944 to 1947. The band featured at various times a large number of rising jazz stars, including:
Saxophones: Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Lucky Thompson, Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, Budd Johnson, Leo Parker
Trumpets: Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro
Drums: Art Blakey
Singers: Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan
Eckstine later formed an octet, then went solo, becoming a popular ballad singer while remaining an important figure in jazz. His huge, distinctive baritone made him one of the first African American singers to have mainstream success. He was the composer of the blues classic "Jelly, Jelly" and also recorded the R&B top hit "Stormy Monday Blues" in 1942 (not to be confused with T-Bone Walker's 1947 "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)"). Most of his success as a singer came with ballads, including "Everything I have is Yours", "Blue Moon", "Caravan," "Prisoner of Love," "You Go to My Head," and "That Old Black Magic". His last hit was "Passing Strangers", a duet with Sarah Vaughan released in 1957.
Eckstine was a style leader and noted sharp dresser. He designed and patented a high roll collar that formed a B over a Windsor-knotted tie, which became known as a Mr. B. Collar. In addition to looking cool, the collar expanded and contracted without popping open, which allowed his neck to swell while playing his horns. The collars were worn by many a hipster in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
In 1984, Eckstine recorded his final album, I Am A Singer, featuring beautiful ballads arranged and conducted by Angelo DiPippo.
In A Sentimental Mood
Billy Eckstine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stars come through my room
While your loving attitude is
Like a flame that lights the gloom
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss you make
My Paradise complete
It's all like a dream to call you mine
My heart's lighter thing since you
Made me this night a thing divine
In A Sentimental Mood
I'm within a world so heavenly
For I never dreamt that you'd be
Loving sentimental me
In A Sentimental Mood I can see
The stars come through my room
While your loving attitude is
Like a flame that lights the gloom
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss you make
My Paradise complete
Rose pearls seem to fall
It's all like a dream to call you mine
My heart's lighter thing since you
Made me this night a thing divine
In A Sentimental Mood
I'm within a world so heavenly
For I never dreamt that you'd be
Loving sentimental me
Billy Eckstine's "In A Sentimental Mood" is a love song that paints a picture of the singer's romantic and emotional state. He begins by remarking on the beauty of the stars shining through his room, likening them to his lover's tender and bright nature. Her love, he suggests, is like a flame in the darkness, lighting up his world. When they kiss, he is transported into a state of bliss, where a gorgeous, sweet melody plays in his mind, and he feels like he is in paradise. He feels overwhelmed and delighted, as if he is dreaming, and he is grateful to his beloved for making this moment divine.
The lyrics are romantic and emotive, giving the listener a sense of the intensity of Billy Eckstine's feelings. He is in a sentimental mood, a state of wistful remembrance and nostalgia. He is taken aback by the depth and tenderness of the love he is receiving, and he is reveling in the joy of the moment. The song is a beautiful tribute to love, and Eckstine's smooth, soulful voice gives the lyrics an extra layer of depth and emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
In a Sentimental Mood I can see
I feel emotional and reflective, and at this moment, I can visualize what's around me
The stars come through my room
The stars outside my window are shining bright and their light is coming through my room
While your loving attitude is
Your affectionate behavior towards me is
Like a flame that lights the gloom
It gives me hope, lifts my spirit and replaces my sadness with joy
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
Every kiss from you brings with it a melody - a feeling of warmth and love
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
It's a unique kind of melody that is sweet and lovely
In this sentimental bliss you make
You create a sense of happiness and contentment for me which I refer to as 'sentimental bliss'
My Paradise complete
You make my paradise, my happy place, complete and without you it would not be so perfect
Rose pearls seem to fall
I feel as though rose pearls are falling from the sky, like it's a beautiful dream becoming a reality
It's all like a dream to call you mine
It feels like a dream to say that you belong to me, and that we share this wonderful bond of love
My heart's lighter thing since you
Ever since you came into my life my heart feels lighter, full of love and happiness
Made me this night a thing divine
Because of your love and the way you make me feel, this night feels divine - like something special and magical is happening
I'm within a world so heavenly
I am in a world that feels like heaven, it's so peaceful, calm and perfect
For I never dreamt that you'd be
I never imagined that you could be
Loving sentimental me
In love with me, someone who is sentimental, emotional and maybe not always easy to love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, MANNY KURTZ, IRVING MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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A Happy Lil' Fella
7/8/2018