Tenderly is a jazz ballad published in 1946, with music by Walter Gross and lyrics by Jack Lawrence. It was written in E-flat major as a waltz in 3/4 time, and has since been performed in 4/4 and become a jazz standard. The tune’s first recording was by Dick Farney on June 15, 1947, released in July 1947. A breakthrough version followed from Sarah Vaughan on July 2, 1947; her rendition entered the charts on November 15 and peaked at number 27. Since then it has been recorded by many artists including Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and Chet Baker, and it has also become a Latin music standard with versions by Vicentico Valdés, Mongo Santamaría, Bola de Nieve, and Peruchín, as well as the 1953 Trio Surdina recording. The tune appears on numerous albums and has been used in soundtracks for films such as Torch Song and Fedora.
