Caravan is an American jazz standard composed by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills. It was first performed by Duke Ellington in 1936, and the original Hollywood recording of an instrumental version by Barney Bigard and His Jazzopators was released as a 1936 single. The tune is known for its exotic, minor-key atmosphere and, although Mills wrote lyrics, the vocal version is rarely performed. It has become one of the most recorded jazz standards, with hundreds of versions by artists across decades. The exotic sound appealed to later exotica artists such as Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, and Gordon Jenkins, and a Mills Brothers cappella version helped popularize it further. The song has appeared in films including Ocean's Eleven, Whiplash, Chocolat, Alice, and Sweet and Lowdown. An oft cited anecdote says Mills paid Tizol 25 dollars for his contribution. Caravan remains a staple of the jazz repertoire and a landmark of 1930s swing.
