"Early Autumn" is a song composed by Ralph Burns and Woody Herman with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song grew out of the fourth segment of Burns's "Summer Sequence" concert piece. The original recording was made by Herman's second herd on December 27, 1947, which had a notable eight-bar solo by saxophonist Stan Getz. Herman asked Johnny Mercer to write lyrics in 1952 and he re-recorded the song taking the vocal duties himself.
Woody Herman and Jo Stafford recorded versions of the song that both charted in the US in 1952.
Contents
Notable covers
Woody Herman — instrumental version (1949).
Woody Herman — single release in 1952 for the Mars label (catalog No. 300).
Billy Eckstine (1952)
Ted Heath and His Music, vocal by Lita Roza (1952).
Jo Stafford — single version that peaked at #25 on the Billboard singles chart.
Ella Fitzgerald – a single release for Decca Records (catalog No. 29810) in 1956 (recorded in 1952)
Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra featuring vocalist Ricky Murray (recorded in 1960 and released on Holiday for Soul Dance on Ra's El Saturn Records in 1970)
Ella Fitzgerald – new version for her album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook (1964)
Johnny Mathis – Wonderful, Wonderful (1957)
Anita O'Day - Anita O'Day Sings the Winners (1958)
Stan Getz – Stan Getz & Strings (1960)
Cleo Laine - I Am a Song (RCA Victor, 1973)
Anita Kerr Singers – Round Midnight (1975)
Patricia Barber - Split (1989
Mel Tormé – Night at the Concord Pavilion (1990)
Diana Krall - included on the Mark Whitfield album Forever Love (1997).
The Four Freshmen – In Session (2005).
Patti LuPone – The Lady with the Torch (2006).
Guy Marchand – A guy in blue (2008) (as "Finalement l'automne est arrivé ").
St. Vincent (feat. The Living Sisters) – Gangster Squad: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2013).
Personnel
Personnel on the 1947 recording were:
Stan Fishelson — trumpet
Bernie Glow — trumpet
Marky Markowitz — trumpet
Ernie Royal — trumpet
Shorty Rogers — trumpet
Earl Swope — trombone
Ollie Wilson — trombone
Bob Swift — trombone
Woody Herman — clarinet
Jimmy Giuffre — clarinet
Sam Marowitz — alto saxophone
Herbie Steward — tenor saxophone
Stan Getz — tenor saxophone
Zoot Sims — tenor saxophone
Serge Chaloff — baritone saxophone
Ralph Burns — piano
Walt Yoder — bass
Terry Gibbs — vibraphone
Don Lamond — drums