Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me is a Duke Ellington composition with lyrics by Bob Russell that grew out of Ellington’s 1940 instrumental Concerto for Cootie, designed to showcase trumpeter Cootie Williams. The vocal version with Al Hibbler on the Ellington band was introduced around 1943–44 and became a major hit, topping the Harlem Hit Parade for eight weeks and crossing over to the pop charts. The tune was first recorded in 1947 and released as a single in 1948, and it has since become a widely performed jazz standard associated with the Duke Ellington song book. It features on Ellington era recordings and on compilations such as Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band, cementing its place in the 1940s jazz canon. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me has been covered by many artists across jazz and pop, including Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, and Mary J. Blige, reflecting its enduring appeal and influence.
