April in Paris is a romantic ballad composed by Vernon Duke with lyrics by E.Y. Yip Harburg, written in 1932 for the Broadway revue Walk a Little Faster. Duke reportedly improvised the melody at Tony's restaurant in New York, inspired by a quip about springtime in Paris, while Harburg crafted lyrics evoking wistful longing for the city in spring. The song was introduced by Evelyn Hoey during the show's Boston tryouts, though a poor opening night performance in New York contributed to the revue's short run. Despite the show's failure, the song endured. Freddy Martin scored the first hit recording in 1933, and the tune gradually entered the jazz repertoire, with Thelonious Monk's 1947 trio recording on Blue Note credited with cementing its place among jazz musicians. The composition features a 32-bar AABA form with a soaring melody, bold chromatic touches, and dramatic key changes that give it a distinctly Parisian elegance. Count Basie's 1955 big band arrangement became one of the most beloved versions, performed nightly until his death in 1984. Other landmark recordings include those by Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. On AllSolos, the tune is represented by Wynton Marsalis's trumpet solo and Marcus Roberts's piano solo from Marsalis Standard Time Vol. I, as well as Louis Armstrong's trumpet solo from the 1956 album Ella and Louis. April in Paris stands as a cornerstone of the Great American Songbook.
