“Mack The Knife” was composed by Kurt Weill for the music drama “Die Dreigroschenoper”, or in English “The Threepenny Opera”. The tune was originally entitled “Die Moritat von Mackie Messer” and premiered in 1928 in Berlin at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. It was introduced in the United States by Louis Armstrong in 1956 and another hit rendition was recorded by Bobby Darin in 1958. It has become a popular standard amongst jazz musicians.
This tune is most commonly played in the key of Bb major.