EAST OF THE SUN (AND WEST OF THE MOON)

Music and lyrics: Brooks Bowman

Year: 1934

Origin of the song

Each academic year, in Princeton University (New Jersey), the Triangle Club brought a play to stage. The one corresponding to the 1934 – 1935’s school year was entitled Stags at Bay, an original play by the student Brooks Bowman. The director was another student called Joshua Logan, who years later would go far in theatre and cinema professionally. The romantic ballad ‘East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)’ was part of the show. Other musical acts, ‘Will Love Find a Way?’ and ‘Love and a Dime’, also Bowman’s, were recorded with notable success by Hal Kemp and Jan Garber’s orchestras, respectively. Stags at Bay had very favourable reviews during the tour that finished in New York, where two performances took place being sold out.

Tom Coakley directed a famous dance orchestra whose headquarters was in California. In May 1935, he recorded ‘East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)’ and went on tour with the band from coast to coast. In the month of August, the disc reached the top of the charts, where it remained for two weeks.

Brooks Bowman died in a car accident in Cat Rock Road, near Garrison (New York), on 17 October 1937, four days before turning twenty four.

Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OFVENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

Tom Coakley Orchestra

1935.05.28

1935.06.29

15

1

(two weeks)

Carl Ravazza (voc)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

Instrumental

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Lester Young Quintet	1947.12.29	Lester Young (ts), Gene DiNovi (p), Chuck Wayne (g), Curly Russell (b), Tiny Kahn (d)
George Shearing Quintet	1949.07.27	George Shearing (p), Marjorie Hyams (vib), Chuck Wayne (g), John Levy (b), Denzil Best (d)
Charlie Parker Quartet	1950.07.05	Charlie Parker (as), Bernie Leighton (p), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (d), Joe Lippman Orchestra
Zoot Sims Quartet	1951.08.14	Zoot Sims (ts), Harry Biss (p), Clyde Lombardi (b), Art Blakey (d)
Howard Rumsey Lighthouse All Stars	1955.03.01	Conte Condoli (tp), Bob Cooper (ts), Bud Shank (as), Claude Williamson (p), Howard Rumsey (b), Stan Levey (d)
Bud Powell Trio	1955.04.27	Bud Powell (p), George Duvivier (b), Art Taylor (d)
Stan Getz Quintet	1955.08.15	Conte Candoli (tp), Stan Getz (ts), Lou Levy (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Shelly Manne (d)
Toots Thielemans Quintet	1957.12.30	Toots Thielemans (arm), Pepper Adams (bars), Kenny Drew (p), Wilbur Ware (b), Art Taylor (d)
Paul Desmond Quartet	1959.09.05	Paul Desmond (as), Jim Hall (g), Percy Heath (b), Connie Kay (d)
Charles Lloyd Quartet	1966.09.08	Charles Lloyd (ts, fl), Keith Jarrett (p), Cecil McBee (b), Jack DeJohnette (d)
Joe Venuti & Earl Hines	1975.10.22	Joe Venuti (vn), Earl Hines (p)
Cyrus Chestnut Trio	1995.11.30	Cyrus Chestnut (p), Steve Kirby (b), Alvester Garnett (d)
Joel Frahm & Brad Mehldau	2001.12.08	Joel Frahm (ts), Brad Mehldau (p)

Vocal

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra	1940.04.23	Tommy Dorsey (tb, dir), Bunny Berigan, Ray Linn, Jimmy Blake, John Dillard (tp), Les Jenkins, George Arus, Lowell Martin (tb), Johnny Mince (cl, as), Fred Stulce, Hymie Schertzer (as), Don Lodice, Paul Mason (ts), Joe Bushkjn (p), Clark Yokum (g), Sid Weiss (b), Buddy Rich (d), Frank Sinatra (voc)
Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra	1944.12.31	Dizzy Gillespie (tp, dir), Aaron Sachs (cl), Georgie Auld (ts), Leonard Feather (p), Chuck Wayne (g), Jack Lesberg (b), Morey Feid (d), Sarah Vaughan (voc)
Sarah Vaughan	1950.05.19	Sarah Vaughan (voc), Miles Davis (tp), Bennie Green (tb), Budd Johnson (ts), Tony Scott (cl), Jimmy Jones (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Billy Taylor Jr. (b), J.C. Heard (d)
Carmen McRae	1957.03.06	Carmen McRae (voc), Ronnell Bright (p), Ike Isaacs (b), Charles 'Specs' Wright (d)
Keely Smith	1957.??.??	Keely Smith (voc), Billy May Orchestra
Frank Sinatra	1961.05.03	Frank Sinatra (voc), Sy Oliver Orchestra
Diana Krall	1998.??.??	Diana Krall (voc, p), Russell Malone (g), Ben Wolfe (b), Jeff Hamilton (d)

On cinemas

The song 'East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

ORIGINAL TITLE	TITLE IN SPAIN	YEAR OF PRODUCTION	PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM
Blue Ice	Seducción peligrosa	1992
The Sleeping Dictionary	El lenguaje de los sueños	2003	Mary Carewe