East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) is a romantic jazz ballad written by Brooks Bowman for the Princeton University Triangle Club’s 1934–35 production Stags at Bay. It was published in 1934 by Santly Bros and quickly became a staple of Princeton’s musical groups, notably the Tigertones and later the Nassoons. The tune was first performed live by the Princeton Triangle Club in 1935, and the first recording was Tom Coakley and His Orchestra with Carl Ravazza on vocals in 1935; Hal Kemp made the first widely released version on Brunswick Records in 1934. Since the 1950s it has become a jazz standard with famous recordings by Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra (1940), Sarah Vaughan (1949–50), Louis Armstrong (1958), Charlie Parker with Strings (1951), Stan Getz (1955), and Ella Fitzgerald (1959). Notable album appearances include Ella Fitzgerald Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers (1959) and Sarah Vaughan in Hi-Fi (1949). Bowman died in 1937 at the age of 23, a short life that belies the lasting legacy of his tune. The song remains a beloved part of the jazz repertoire and continues to be reinterpreted by artists today.
