Daybreak is a tune written by Ferde Grofé with lyrics by Harold Adamson. It began as an instrumental theme in Grofé's Mississippi Suite in the mid-1920s and was published in 1926 by Leo Feist, Inc; Adamson later added lyrics, turning it into a vocal ballad. The first recording and release occurred in 1942 by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra with Frank Sinatra on the vocal refrain. Since then Daybreak has been recorded by many artists, including Dinah Washington (1960, I Concentrate On You), Frank Sinatra (1961), Chet Baker and Bud Shank (1955), Ray Charles Singers (1959), and Tony Bennett (1995, Here’s To The Ladies), making it a staple of the jazz and pop standards repertoire. The tune is associated with the big band era, and there are instrumental versions as well, such as Victor Silvester and His Ballroom Orchestra (1942) and Dick Hyman Trio (1956).
