The Japanese Sandman

The Japanese Sandman is an American popular song written in 1920, with music by Richard A. Whiting and lyrics by Raymond B. Egan. First popularized during the early Jazz Age, the tune quickly became an international hit and was recorded by numerous dance orchestras and jazz musicians.

Django Reinhardt recorded The Japanese Sandman several times. His first known recording was made in Paris on 7 July 1937 with a group of visiting American jazz musicians. Django later recorded the tune twice with the Quintette du Hot Club de France, on 21 March and 17 May 1939, with Stéphane Grappelli on violin.

Musical character:
The Japanese Sandman is a lively early popular standard with a clear, memorable melody and a classic 32-bar harmonic structure well suited to swing improvisation. Although originally written as a vocal song, its simple melodic outline and strong chord progression allowed jazz musicians to transform it easily into an instrumental feature.

Connection to Manouche Jazz:
The connection to Manouche Jazz is direct through Django Reinhardt's recordings. His 1939 versions with the Quintette du Hot Club de France place the tune firmly within the classic pre-war Hot Club repertoire, where the melody became a vehicle for Django's guitar improvisation and Stéphane Grappelli's violin.

Interesting facts:

• The music was composed by Richard A. Whiting, with lyrics by Raymond B. Egan, and the song was published in 1920.
• It was initially popularized by singer Nora Bayes and soon became a major success during the early Jazz Age.
• Paul Whiteman recorded an instrumental version on 19 August 1920; it was issued together with his hugely successful recording of Whispering.
• Django's first recording of the tune in 1937 was made with American musicians including trumpeters Bill Coleman and Shad Collins and trombonist Dicky Wells.
• Django returned to the song twice in 1939 with the classic Quintette du Hot Club de France.
• The original lyrics reflect the romanticized and stereotyped Western image of Japan common in American popular culture of the period; today they are best understood in their historical context.

The Japanese Sandman travelled from American popular music of the 1920s into the international jazz repertoire and eventually into Django Reinhardt's own musical world. His repeated recordings of the tune helped give this early standard a lasting place in the classic Manouche Jazz repertoire.