Detour Ahead
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"Detour Ahead" is a jazz standard with words and music credited to Herb Ellis, John Frigo, and Lou Carter.
The song was written in 1947 while Carter, Ellis and Frigo were part of The Soft Winds, a group they created after leaving Jimmy Dorsey’s orchestra.
While officially credited to Carter, Frigo, and Ellis, there is no agreement in whether all three composed the song.
The original lyrics compare love’s progress to a motor trip – the perfect metaphor in 1950s America.
Cover versions
- In 1949 Billie Holiday recorded the song with Tiny Grimes’ Sextet.
- Irene Kral included it on her 1958 album The Band and I.
- Della Reese recorded the song in the album "Della Reese Live in Hollywood 1966."
- Jazz pianist Eliane Elias included the composition in her 2008 album Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans.