Don't Worry 'Bout Me is a 1938 jazz-pop standard written by Rube Bloom with lyrics by Ted Koehler. It was introduced by Cab Calloway in the Cotton Club Parade during the 1939 World's Fair edition - the first hit recording came in 1939 by Hal Kemp and His Orchestra with Bob Allen on vocals. The tune has become a lasting jazz standard, widely covered by many great artists over the decades - notable versions include Billie Holiday's 1959 Verve recording (her last session with Ray Ellis and his Orchestra), Frank Sinatra's 1954 single and later album appearances, Sarah Vaughan with Teddy Wilson's Octet in 1946, and later takes by Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell in 2000, Curtis Stigers with the Danish Radio Big Band in 2017, and the Count Basie Orchestra with Kurt Elling in 2018. The lyrics describe ending a relationship in a gracious, amicable way, and the lush melody reflects Bloom's sophisticated late 1930s style. The song lives on as a staple of the jazz standards repertoire and has appeared on numerous albums and in live performances.
