I Want to Talk About You is a jazz ballad written by Billy Eckstine and first recorded by Billy Eckstine and His Orchestra with Eckstine on vocal. The session was recorded December 5, 1944 and released in 1945 as a 78 rpm single on the DeLuxe/Miltone labels, backed with I'll Wait and Pray. Sung in English, the song quickly became a jazz standard and the original release did not appear on a standalone album. Over the years it has been covered by many artists, including Lorez Alexandria (1962), Nancy Wilson (1966), Ray Charles (1967), and Ella Fitzgerald with Joe Pass (1974). Instrumental versions are also common, such as John Coltrane's 1958 take. The tune remains a staple of both vocal and instrumental jazz repertoires, highlighting Eckstine's lasting impact on the genre.
