Day Dream is a jazz standard written in 1939 by Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by John Latouche, published in 1941 by Robbins Music. It was first recorded by Johnny Hodges and his ensemble on November 2, 1940 and released as a single Day Dream / Junior Hop on Bluebird 11021. On the original 78 RPM release the label credited Duke Ellington as co-composer, though he is not generally considered the song’s creator. The tune was written during a seven week period Strayhorn had at home while the Duke Ellington orchestra toured Europe in March 1939. It has since been recorded by many artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford, Sarah Vaughan, and Chet Baker, and remains a staple of the Ellington-Strayhorn repertoire, with notable performances on Duke Ellington albums such as The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943.
