Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Flamingo" is a ballad composed by Ted Grouya with lyrics by Edmund Anderson, published in 1940. The song came to life when singer Herb Jeffries, performing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, was given the score by Grouya and passed it on to the band. Billy Strayhorn created the arrangement, and Ellington recorded it with Jeffries on vocals for Victor Records on December 28, 1940.

The song is set in the original key of F major at a slow ballad tempo. The melody traces graceful, flowing lines with an exotic, romantic character. Strayhorn's arrangement showcases the Ellington orchestra's rich tonal palette, featuring colorful voicings from woodwinds and muted brass. The harmonic progression incorporates chromatic movement with subtle shifts between major and minor tonalities, lending the piece a lush, atmospheric quality that evokes the beauty suggested by its title.

The original Ellington recording with Jeffries reached the Billboard charts in 1941. Earl Bostic scored a number-one R&B hit with his instrumental version in 1951, reigniting interest in the song. Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass brought it to a new audience in 1966 with a pop-chart entry, demonstrating the tune's cross-genre appeal.