My Little Brown Book is a jazz ballad written by Billy Strayhorn and best known from Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra. Strayhorn wrote the tune in 1935 for a Westinghouse High School Stunt Day show, and Ellington later arranged it for his band. The lyrics describe a memory kept in a little brown book with a silver binding, a love that never became real, and the last kiss that remains. Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra recorded it in 1942 with Herb Jeffries on vocals, and it was issued as a single with the B side Someone in 1944 (Victor 20-1584). The piece was originally in Bb and was reworked in 1952 by Strayhorn into the key of C major to suit a vocalist, a version Ellington revisited on later projects including a 1967 tribute album. This jazz big band ballad showcases Strayhorn’s elegant melodic writing and Ellington’s enduring collaborative sound.
