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.
Jealousy
Billy Eckstine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sometimes wonder if this spell that I'm under
Can be only a melody, for I know no one but me
Has won your heart, but when the music starts
My peace departs from the moment
They play that lovely strain
And we surrender to all it's charm again
We dance to a tango of love
Your heart beats with mine as we sway
Your eyes give the answer I'm dreaming of
That soft word your cruel lips will never say
I fear that the music will end
And shatter the spell it may lend
To make me believe when your eyes just deceive
And it's only the tango that you love
In Billy Eckstine's song Jealousy, the singer describes the emotional anguish he feels when he and his lover dance to a tango of love. The jealousy he experiences is palpable, as it tortures him both day and night. Despite his suspicions, he cannot help but wonder if this feeling is nothing more than a melody, simply a figment of his imagination. He believes that he is the only one who has won his lover's heart and yet, whenever the music starts, he feels his peace depart from him.
As they dance to the tango, his lover's heart beats in time with his own, and yet he is left longing for more. He yearns for those answers that he is dreaming of, but knows that he will never receive them. The music's charm takes hold once again, and the jealousy that tortures him becomes both an ecstasy and a pain. The singer has a fear that the music will end, that the spell will be broken, and that the love he believes they share will be revealed as nothing more than a tango. This song captures the complexities of romantic love, as it encapsulates both the dizzying heights of passion and the crushing weight of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Jealousy, night and day you torture me
The emotion of jealousy constantly torments me, both during the day and at night.
I sometimes wonder if this spell that I'm under
Can be only a melody, for I know no one but me
Has won your heart, but when the music starts
At times, I'm in doubt whether my feelings towards you are only due to the melody of this song, as I'm aware that only I have captured your heart. But as soon as the music begins, my doubts dissipate.
My peace departs from the moment
They play that lovely strain
And we surrender to all it's charm again
This jealousy that tortures me is ecstasy, mystery, pain
As soon as the song starts playing, I lose my inner peace and can't help but succumb to its charm. The jealousy that torments me feels like a mix of intense emotions such as ecstasy, mystery, and pain, all rolled into one.
We dance to a tango of love
Your heart beats with mine as we sway
Your eyes give the answer I'm dreaming of
That soft word your cruel lips will never say
As we dance, it feels like we're performing a tango of love, where our hearts beat in unison. Although your eyes reflect the emotions I'm longing for, I know the kind words I yearn for will never come from your lips.
I fear that the music will end
And shatter the spell it may lend
To make me believe when your eyes just deceive
And it's only the tango that you love
I fear that when the music stops, the magic of the moment will fade away too, and I'll be left with the realization that my interpretation of your emotions was wrong all along. That you didn't love me, but only the tango we danced to.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACOB GADE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Trombonology Erstwhile
Very snazzy! One of the most dramatic songs ever, interpreted by one of the most dramatic vocalists ever. ... Rugolo's arrangement is pretty dramatic as well!
Dom Tor
greetings from istanbul :))