"Tenderly" is a

popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...

song published in 1946 with music by Walter Gross and lyrics by Jack Lawrence. Written in the key of E as a waltz in time, it has since been performed in 4/4 and has become a popular jazz standard. Notable versions have been recorded by singers, such as Sarah Vaughan and

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

, and pianists, such as

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

, Bill Evans and

Peruchín Pedro Nolasco Jústiz Rodríguez, better known as Peruchín (January 31, 1913 – December 24, 1977), was a Cuban pianist specializing in jazz-influenced Cuban popular music. He was an important figure in the 1950s descarga (jam session) scene in ...

. "Tenderly" was first recorded by Brazilian singer and pianist Dick Farney on June 15, 1947. Described as "a lovely waltz melody", Farney's version was positively received upon release in July 1947. The second recording was made by Sarah Vaughan on July 2, 1947. Her version entered the charts on November 15 and reached number 27. It has been described as "a ravishing rendition". The next versions were recorded by the orchestras of Randy Brooks and

Charlie Spivak Charlie Spivak (February 17, 1907 – March 1, 1982) was an American trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his big band in the 1940s. Early life The details of Spivak's birth are unclear. Some sources place it in Ukraine in 1907, and that h ...

later that year. Singer Clark Dennis recorded the song in 1948. Vaughan re-recorded the song for MGM in 1950. The song has also become a Latin music

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

—among the Cuban musicians that have made recordings are Vicentico Valdés,

Mongo Santamaría Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 – February 1, 2003) was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga an ...

Bola de Nieve Bola de Nieve (literally ''Snowball'') (11 September 1911 – 2 October 1971), born Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernández, was a Cuban singer-pianist and songwriter. His name originates from his round, black face. Villa Fernández was born in Guanaba ...

and

. The Brazilian Trio Surdina recorded a samba-inflected version in 1953, while

Jerry González Jerry González (June 5, 1949 – October 1, 2018) was an American bandleader, trumpeter and percussionist of Puerto Rican descent. Geraldo, his father, was a singer in a band and worked for Las Villas, a chain of stores selling Latin Ameri ...

y Los Comandos de la Clave recorded a

Latin jazz Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave, and Afro-Brazilian jazz, which ...

version in 2010.

Other versions

* Sarah Vaughan – (1947) *

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

– (1949) * Rosemary Clooney – (1951) *

– ''The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 3'' (1953) * Johnny Smith Quintet (featuring Stan Getz) – ''Jazz at NBC'' (1953), '' Moonlight in Vermont'' (1956) *

– ''Piano con moña'' (1956) * Louis Armstrong with

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

– ''

Ella and Louis ''Ella and Louis'' is a studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson Quartet, released in October 1956. Having previously collaborated in the late 1940s for the Decca label, this was the first of three al ...

'' (1956) * Duke Ellington with Jimmy Hamilton – ''Indigos'' (1957) *

Bobby Troup Robert William Troup Jr. (October 18, 1918 – February 7, 1999) was an American actor, jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter. He wrote the song " Route 66" and acted in the role of Dr. Joe Early with his wife Julie London in the television prog ...

– ''Bobby Swings Tenderly'' (1957) * Bill Evans – ''

Everybody Digs Bill Evans ''Everybody Digs Bill Evans'' is an album by jazz musician Bill Evans. It was released in early 1959 on the Riverside label. History ''Everybody Digs Bill Evans'' was Evans's second album, done two years after his first record as a leader. Thoug ...

'' (1959) * Eric Dolphy – ''

Far Cry ''Far Cry'' is an anthology franchise of first-person shooter games, all of which have been published by Ubisoft. The first game, '' Far Cry'', was developed by Crytek to premiere their CryEngine software, and released in March 2004. Subsequen ...

'' (1960) *

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards ...

and

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Pass is well known for his work stemming from numerous collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, an ...

– '' Oscar Peterson et Joe Pass à Salle Pleyel'' (1975) * The Great Jazz Trio – ''Love for Sale'' (1976) – as a bonus track *

Lenny Breau Leonard Harold Breau (August 5, 1941 – August 12, 1984) was an American-Canadian guitarist. He blended many styles of music, including jazz, country, classical, and flamenco. Inspired by country guitarists like Chet Atkins, Breau used finger ...

with

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

– '' Standard Brands'' (1981) *

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

- '' Tenderly'' (1989) *

David S. Ware David Spencer Ware (November 7, 1949 – October 18, 2012) was an American jazz saxophone, saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. Biography Ware was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and grew up in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. While in high sc ...

–

Earthquation ''Earthquation'' is an album by the American jazz saxophonist David S. Ware, recorded in 1994 and released on the Japanese DIW label. Music As in previous DIW sessions, the quartet plays two standards, Eddie Heywood's "Canadian Sunset", which Wa ...

(1994) *

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...

– ''Departure'' (1996) *

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first r ...

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

* Bud Powell

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenderly 1946 songs 1940s jazz standards Songs with lyrics by Jack Lawrence Jazz compositions in E-flat major Rosemary Clooney songs Nat King Cole songs Sarah Vaughan songs