Come Sunday

For the album by Charlie Haden and Hank Jones, see Come Sunday (album). For the 2018 film, see Come Sunday (film).

"Come Sunday" is a sacred jazz piece by Duke Ellington that has become a jazz standard. It was written as a part of the first movement of a suite entitled Black, Brown and Beige.

"Come Sunday"
Song
Recorded	1943
Songwriter(s)	Duke Ellington

History

Ellington was engaged for a performance at Carnegie Hall on January 23, 1943, for which he wrote the entire composition (that whole concert was released in 1977 as The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943). In 1958 he revised the suite and recorded it in its entirety for that year's album titled after the suite.^[1] "Come Sunday" was originally a centerpiece for alto saxophone player Johnny Hodges; the 1958 album, which contained a vocal version of the piece with new lyrics by Ellington featuring gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, greatly increased its popularity.^[2]

Notable recordings

• Duke Ellington – Black, Brown and Beige (rel. 1946), recording of 1943 Carnegie Hall concert^[2]
• Duke Ellington – Black, Brown and Beige (1958, with Mahalia Jackson)^[2]
• Dizzy Gillespie – A Portrait of Duke Ellington (1960)^[2]
• Carmen McRae - Bittersweet (1964)^[3]
• Jennifer Holliday – Say You Love Me (1985), Grammy Award Winner, Best Inspirational Performance, 1986^[4]
• Donna McElroy – Bigger World (1990)^[5][6][7]

See also

• List of jazz standards