Lush Life - Billy Strayhorn
I know this is blasphemy, but I think Lush Life is a dreary tedious song. (It's made even worse when overly-indulgent singers do it so slow I need to shave again when it's finished. Nature Boy and Lazy Afternoon are two others I'd like to toss into a bottomless pit.) But it does have some cool changes and I have heard versions I don't hate. I prefer to play it with a salsa feel, so here's my personal chart. Alternate chords have been harvested from various sources including Billy Taylor, Tito Puente, and a pianist I met one summer while working on a cruise ship - you can thank him for the Coda outro.
Lush Life (Db Latin) - Billy Strayhorn
Wonderful! Wonderful! - Sherman Edwards
"Wonderful! Wonderful!" is a 1957 song composed by Sherman Edwards with lyrics by Ben Raleigh. It was a hit single for Johnny Mathis in 1957 and was recorded about the same time as "It's Not For Me To Say," a chord chart for which I recently posted.
The sheet music for this song is written in 4/4 time, but the song is played "in two" (or better, "in eight"), meaning that the feeling is one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and. There is a bass note played on each beat and a light drum hit on each "and." The song has an atypical AABA structure. The A sections are 16 measures long but the B section is only 4 measures long. However, in order to incorporate the song into existing iReal Pro styles, I had to break each measure in half. Thus, the chord chart has 32-bar A sections and an 8-bar B section. I found that the best style for the chart is Jazz-Ballad Even at 150 bpm, which is close to the original tempo. If we get an "in two" style in the future, the chart may have to be modified.
The chart itself was originally written by a previous poster. I have corrected a few mistakes, made a few harmony changes of my own, and the split the measures in half.
This is one of series of Johnny Mathis songs for which I've posted charts. His hits are popular with many of the audiences for which I perform. It was featured on an episode of the old TV series "The X-Files." I hope you enjoy this almost-forgotten song from the 1950s.
Wonderful! Wonderful! (k ver) - Sherman Edwards
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
The Gentleman Is a Dope - Richard Rodgers
Here are two versions of the tune.
ORIGINAL VERSION, from the sheet music. It's in D minor, although the singers on YouTube sing it in Bb minor, the key in which it was sung in the show Allegro.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QpMbxeeRJME
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jUFO2tUBV4c
https://www.scribd.com/doc/271984697...a-Dope-Allegro
Gentleman Is a Dope (Orig), The - Richard Rodgers
MY VERSION, which is slower and has a number of different changes.
Gentleman Is a Dope-Rev JE, The - Richard Rodgers
Cheers,
Jer
No Other Love - Richard Rodgers
The tune for No Other Love was originally part of Richard Rodgers' score for the acclaimed 1952 TV war documentary series Victory at Sea. In the orchestral suite compiled from the score the piece was titled Beneath the Southern Cross.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDuQ...=RDsDuQp_AfVJk
In 1953, Rodgers "borrowed" his own tune and included it in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Me and Juliet as No Other Love, with lyrics by Hammerstein.
It was a hit tune for Perry Como:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfiSbyF5YYE
It was even recorded by Jay and the Americans:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77h84WomwKM
Personal note: My band and I played for Jay Black's son's wedding.
My version takes liberties with some of the harmonies for more of a jazz flavor. A lead sheet for the standard version can be found in Hal Leonard's Ultimate Broadway Fake Book, and others.
No Other Love-Rev JE - Richard Rodgers
Cheers,
Jer
Hymn To Freedom - Oscar Peterson
Here's a more complete chart to this beautiful gospel-like tune.
Here's Peterson playing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCrrZ1NnCuM
Here's a transcription on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07F0Oac0_Gs
And here's a lead sheet. It's in Bb, whereas Peterson plays it in F.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/halleonard-c...843160p10z.jpg
Hymn To Freedom-Rev JE - Oscar Peterson
It's Grieg to Me - Grieg-Engelbach
Okay, the title is a silly cliché.
This is the main theme from Grieg's Piano Concerto, adapted as a Latin-Jazz tune.
The chart can be found here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/37nr6q9b41...%20Me.pdf?dl=0
(Well, the chart was there ~7 years ago:()
It's Grieg to Me - Grieg-Engelbach
Cheers,
Jer
Where Is Your Heart - George Auric
I'd like to thank Larry Seyer for posting a chord chart for this almost-forgotten song from a time when we both were young. "Where Is Your Heart" was a song featured in the 1952 film "Moulin Rouge. In the film, the song was called "It's April Again" and was quite different from the 1953 hit by Percy Faith with vocal by Felicia Sanders. In addition, a version by Montovani and his orchestra was also very popular. The song is in a standard 32-bar AABA form with straightforward diatonic harmony.
I edited Larry's chord chart and made some changes. Firstly, I transposed it into Eb, the standard fake book key, as found in the Movie Fake Book by Hal Leonard. Next, I elongated Larry's introduction to 8 measures. Finally, I corrected some mistakes in the chords.
Here it is, a memory from my youth.
Where Is Your Heart - George Auric
I Can Dream, Can't I - Sammy Fain
In 1938, two memorable songs emerged from the Broadway flop "Right This Way" with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Irving Kahal: "I'll Be Seeing You" and the lesser known "I Can Dream, Can't I." The latter was a hit, first for the Tommy Dorsey band in 1937, and then for the Andrews Sisters and for Toni Arden, both in 1949. It was also featured in an episode of the TV series "Mad Men."
Sammy Fain (1902-1989) had a long career as a songwriter both for live musicals and films. Early songs include "Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella," "You Brought A New Kind of Love To Me," and "When I Take My Sugar To Tea." Later songs include "Dear Hearts and Gentle People," "I'm Late" and "Alice In Wonderland" (from the Disney film "Alice in Wonderland"), "The Second Star From the Right (from the Disney film "Peter Pan") and "April Love" (from the film of the same name) . He was nominated ten times for the Academy Award for best song and won twice for "Secret Love" and "Love Is A Many Splendid Thing." Fain was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.
"I Can Dream, Can't I" has a standard 32-bar ABAC form, with each section being 8 measures long. The lovely melody is very tightly composed based on two main motives. The two A sections, identical for the first seven measures, are based on a three-note descending scalar motive on the first, fourth, and seventh scale degree, all with the same rhythm: half note, quarter note, and half-note. The first B section starts with three instances of a three-note scalar motive using quarter-note triplets; similar motives using the same rhythm are used in the second B section. The repeated use of these two motives brings a satisfying coherence to the melody. The lyrics, a plaintive admission of unrequited love fit the melody beautifully.
The Tommy Dorsey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2NX5KhzIJ0) and Andrews Sisters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ1qmGJ3eyY) performances are both available. Particularly nice is a 1975 performance by Karen Carpenter from the Carpenters album "Horizon" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myXD...kVFmgnHwBxm7kf, which also includes the little-known verse.
Lead sheets are available in a number of fake books, including The Ultimate Fake Book published by Hal Leonard. My chart uses the Jazz-Ballad style at 90 bpm. I hope you enjoy playing this beautiful song.
I Can Dream, Can't I - Sammy Fain
Glad To Be Unhappy - Rodgers-Hart
Glad to Be Unhappy was written by Rodgers and Hart for their 1936 musical On Your Toes.
My favorite recording of it is by Eric Dolphy on flute, which starts with the verse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzFTnx8XYh8
My version contains no verse, and uses my own changes.
Glad To Be Unhappy-Rev JE - Rodgers-Hart
Cheers,
Jer
Getting To Know You - Rodgers and Hammerstein
"Getting To Know You" is a song from the 1951 Broadway musical "The King and I," with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and music by Richard Rodgers and the 1956 film of the same name. Its well-known lyrics describe a teacher's feelings about her new pupils at the start of a school year.
The song is of great musical interest because of the motivic nature of its composition. It has an unusual structure: it is a 32-bar with four 8-measure sections all of which begin with the same melodic motive, and has not the typical AABA or ABAC form. In fact, the whole composition is written around a single motivic phrase: a three-note scalar rising eighth note triplet and a rising skip to a longer note. Depending on how strictly one defines the motive, there are fifteen uses of it in this song. Compare this to "Siempre En Mi Corazón (Always In My Heart)" https://www.irealb.com/forums/showth...ado-Kim-Gannon for another such example.
There are a number of performances of this song available. The standard is by Marni Nixon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlx6gQWfjp0 from the film sound track. Others are by Julie Andrews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbbYY-pAmlY,
James Taylor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7E8dC2g_XA (a country version with some interesting harmonic changes), and, for nostalgia, a bouncy early 1950s performance by Betty White https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB49Meb6J18.
This song was popular when I was a boy and we sang it in class when I was in elementary school. It is another forgotten song of the 1950s that is well-received by my retirement-home audiences.
My chart pretty much follows the standard chord changes. A lead sheet for this song can be found in a number of books: The Ultimate Fake Book and The Ultimate Broadway Fake Book (both by Hal Leonard) and The Original Legal Musicians Fake Book (Hansen House). I play it as a "bounce," 120 bpm with the Jazz–Ballad Swing style. It does work with the Jazz–Swing Two/Four style as well, but I find that the cymbals in the percussion track detract from the light feeling of the tune.
I hope you enjoy playing this light-hearted, fun song as much as I do.
Getting To Know You - Rodgers and Hammerstein
I Have Dreamed - Rodgers-Hammerstein
"I Have Dreamed" is a song from the 1951 Broadway musical "The King and I," with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and music by Richard Rodgers and the 1956 film of the same name. It was also featured in the 1995 film "The American President." It is a companion piece with "Getting To Know You," a chart for which I posted last month. It is another example of Roger's repeated use of a melodic cell to craft a tightly-composed and very lovely song.
The song has an unusual structure: call it AA'A"B. The three A's each are 8 measures in length and all start with the same 2-measure melodic/harmonic cell, each starting on a different scale degree. The first and third A each use the cell twice, so that there are a total of five uses of the cell within the first 24 measures of the song. The B section is 12 measures in length and bears no melodic relationship to the A section.
There are many version available on YouTube. My chord chart follows the harmonies in a beautiful recording by the late singer Nancy LaMott (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu2a_ZEsi_o) and is a different take from Jerry's fine chart presented above. It has a simple 4-measure intro vamp. I play it with a light-rock feel and use the Latin–Brazil: Bossa Acoustic style at 100 bpm. Lead sheets can be found in The Ultimate Fake Book and The Ultimate Broadway Fake Book, both published by Hal Leonard.
I hope you like the chart. I enjoy playing this beautiful, unfortunately neglected tune from almost 70 years ago.
I Have Dreamed (k ver) - Rodgers-Hammerstein
If You Love Me - Gardot-Carvalho-Aderne
Hi Timothy,
"If You Love Me" is a slow ballad by Melody Gardot, Dadi Carvalho, and Pierre Aderne. It has a straightforward 32-bar AABA structure and is built around a I-vi-ii-V progression. When I first heard it this afternoon, it reminded me of many 1950s teenage love ballads (I was there, so I ought to know) that were popular then.
The harmony is simple, and I kept it that way in the chord chart. Note that in measure 6 (and the other two similar instances), I placed the Ab7 chord on the third beat; I'm not sure if it was on the third or fourth beat in the recording but either way, it's a matter of taste.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ylRj-W0fis
I did not include the introduction, but I did include the short tag at the end. I hope this arrangement works for you.
If You Love Me - Gardot-Carvalho-Aderne
Small Fry - Hoagy Carmichael-Frank Loesser
"Small Fry" is a song by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser from the 1938 film "Sing You Sinners." It has a straightforward 32-bar AABA structure. The harmony, by itself, is not particularly adventurous, but the way it interacts with the melody has one item of special interest.
My chord chart follows the standard chord changes with one exception: in the fifth measure of the "A" section, the standard changes are Eb and Eb7 (in the chart's key of Eb) but I used a tritone substitution for the Eb7 chord, which is an A9#11 chord. The reason for this is that the melody note (an Eb or its enharmonic equivalent D#) is itself the #11 of A. The next note in the melody, the first note of the sixth measure, is a D, which is the #11 of the next chord, an Ab9. Thus, the two melody notes descend by a minor second, and the two chords also descend by a minor second. I liked the parallelism and so made the substitution.
A lead sheet for "Small Fry" can be found in some older fakebooks and can be readily found on the web.
My chart has a tag coda which is present in the original song.
I hope the chart will prove useful to you.
Small Fry - Hoagy Carmichael-Frank Loesser
Small Fry - Hoagy Carmichael-Frank Loesser
Additional thoughts about chord chart submissions
What is a pianist (or guitarist) to do when he sees an A9#11 chord in a chord chart. An average Joe or Jane might simplify it because he hasn't the experience to correctly handle it and instead just play an A7 chord. I would suggest voicing it, from the bottom up, with the 3rd, 7th, 9th, and #11 on top. For a pianist, the right thumb on a C#, 2nd finger on a G, the 3rd finger on a B, and the 5th finger on a D# (=Eb, the melody note). This is an open voicing with an attractive sound, containing the necessary 3rd and 7th inside and the #11 sticking out on top. The next chord, an Ab9#11, can be easily played by moving down by a half-step. By putting the 3rd finger on the Bb, the 4th and 5th fingers are free to play the melody.
Jerry's post brings up an important issue: what belongs in a chord chart submitted to the forums? Should the chart be written for maximum legibility, especially if the chart is to be read on a small screen, like my iPhone 7? Should it be bare-bones, so that a beginner can play the chords without a struggle or improvise over the changes without getting hung up in chord extensions? Should it be more sophisticated, so that a melody player or singer can use it as an effective backing track? Should it reflect the way a real jazz musician conceives of the song? As someone whose charts are among the best and most elegant posted to the forums, I'm sure he has considered these issues.
When I wrote the chord chart for "Small Fry," I had several aims in mind. I wanted to quickly respond to GG's request, in case he (or are you a she?) needed it right away. I wanted a chart that was readable and easy on the eyes. I didn't know how he wanted to use it or his level of musical experience or knowledge. However, it had to be accurate and reflect the harmonic structure of the tune. Let's face it, we're dealing with a composition by Carmichael and Loesser, two of the twentieth century's great song composers, and the chart should have the sophistication that the song deserves. Thus, I tempered justice with mercy and submitted the chart found above.
A more sophisticated and I think more accurate version of "Small Fry" follows this paragraph. It contains additional chords with extensions. Note the ii-V-i in the second measure, fourth line (and similar instances) which is the way that many would automatically play, even if it weren't written in the chord chart. Note the tritone sub at the end of the first ending; the melody note is the root of the V7, which means that it is the #11 of the tritone sub, just as it was in the fifth measure of the A section. While the chart is more accurate and the backing track sounds better, it sacrifices easy readability and might confuse someone with less knowledge. Is this chart better? For whom? When is "better the enemy of good?"
Small Fry (v2) - Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Loesser
Finally, here is a third version that might reflect the way I'd actually play it. Note the additional color tones in some chords. In addition, there is yet another tritone sub, this one in the second measure, fourth line. It fills in a four-note descending bassline and sounds good, at least to me. I is also no more difficult to play than the second chart: the Db9#11 contains the same notes in the right hand (F, Cb, Eb, and G) as the G7#5 (F, B, D#, and G) and is voiced exactly the same. The chart creates a nice backing track. However, it sacrifices even more readability. One might argue it creates a straight jacket for an improviser over the changes because of all of the extensions. Is it a better chord chart than either of the other two? For whom might it be better?
Small Fry (v3) - Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Loesser
So GG, which do you like best? Which is more useful to you and how will you use it? Please let us know.
Regards,
Keith
Turn Your Love Around - Graydon-Lukather-Champlin
I repost the chart because when I wanted to edit it and also add a reference track.
So here's the reference track:
https://youtu.be/9tZWLRh3xmU?si=8xVNXi3sp-8dkwFN
The chart follows the structure of that reference track
Turn Your Love Around (George Benson) - Graydon-Lukather-Champlin
Moose The Mooche - Charlie Parker
This is a version of "Moose the Mooche" that I got through interlibrary loan in WA state. It transcribed all of Bird's solos, and for what it's worth, I thought it was worthy of inclusion since it is quite different from the one on the Jazz list.
Moose The Mooche - Atlantic Music Corp- - Charlie Parker
Trains and Boats and Planes - Burt Bacharach
I was rather surprised this tune wasn't done yet. This arrangement is not based on the more well-known Dionne Warwick(e) version, it is the pop hit Bacharach recorded over in swinging London that has an instrumental bridge (not that this fact matters, I guess). I was able to use the Break feature to match up the entrance of the percussion track on the second verse, as on the single: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58db0IGpiVM)
Trains and Boats and Planes - B. Bacharach
Moonlight Becomes You - Jimmy Van Heusen
Moonlight Becomes You - Jimmy Van Heusen
The song was first recorded on May 5, 1942 by Bobby Sherwood and His Orchestra - Vocal by Kitty Kallen, and it was released in November of that year.
https://youtu.be/KOdh5WgUPzs?si=ZHc1kZefick8Pddo
Moonlight Becomes You was written for movie Road to Morocco, and it was recorded by Bing Crosby on June 12, 1942. The movie was released on November 10, 1942.
https://youtu.be/dUmkz95E7mw?si=6RlmlyQkvXhEWEk_
Bing Crosby recorded it again with Scott Trotter and His Orchestra. That version was also released in November 1942.
https://youtu.be/B3BKZiQnISs?si=jJCb_dYddZVHlcxb
This is my transcription in iRP from the original sheet music from 1942.
Moonlight Becomes You - rp VSM - Jimmy Van Heusen (Words by Johnny Burke) 1942
And this is my reharmonization, the way I play it.
Moonlight Becomes You - RP - Jimmy Van Heusen (1942)
This one is my transcription of Matt Munisteri’s version on his album It's Been Swell: The Hillside Recordings.
Moonlight Becomes You - rp (Matt Munisteri) - Jimmy Van Heusen (1942)
https://mattmunisteri.bandcamp.com/a...ide-recordings
For comparison, the version found in the 1460 playlist:
Moonlight Becomes You - Jimmy Van-Heusen
Other versions:
Moonlight Becomes You - rp (Real Jazz Book) - Jimmy Van Heusen (1942)
Moonlight Becomes You - rp (Real Book Of Blues) - Jimmy Van Heusen (1942)
Moonlight Becomes You - rp (Great Gig Blue Book) - Jimmy Van Heusen (1942)
Tonight You Belong To Me - Rose-David
Tonight You Belong To Me - Lee David
Words by Billy Rose
1926
Not sure in which forum this song really belongs. Mods, feel free to move it if you feel there is a better place.
This song was originally in 3/4, and it was titled “To-night You Belong To Me”
First recorded by Irving Kaufman in 1926, it became a hit the next year when Gene Austin recorded it.
Irving Kaufman (1926 version)
https://youtu.be/usrACzwJToM?si=mDr3z1luzKDeItiP
Gene Austen (recorded in December 1926, released in February 1927)
https://youtu.be/S-HoFhLRuO4?si=lk9_2P6YQnqG6yg9
Patience and Prudence’s version in 1956 was also a hit.
https://youtu.be/W4dqfrzJPbc?si=PbYbSoF-Je3Coha6
Of course, when thinking about this song, many people will immediately remember the version in the 1979 movie The Jerk with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. Despite Martin being an excellent banjo player, the ukulele part we hear is not actually played by him but by jazz ukulele player Lyle Ritz.
https://youtu.be/wyinJyWUhas?si=y6zEk-A7GXeKa0M7
Nice vocals and guitar accompaniment on this 2010 recording by Jane Monheit and John Pizzarelli.
https://youtu.be/sZ1xUO4sCQg?si=mbz_7DXAiQJujlpY
Here is my transcription of the song, including the verse and in 3/4 time - and in the original key of Eb.
Tonight You Belong To Me - rp VSM - Lee David (words by Billy Rose) 1926
Not nearly as jazzy as the version in the Jazz 1460 Standards but my changes are based on the way the song was played originally.
Tonight You Belong To Me - Rose-David
Kalamazoo (I've Got A Gal In) - Mack Gordon-Harry Warren (Request)
Multiple search approaches here have failed to turn this one up. Can you help? It's for a band performing in Assisted Living Centers and Nursing Homes. THANK YOU!
Song Title: (I've Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo
Song Composer: Mack Gordon-Harry Warren, 1942
Band Name or Performer: Glenn Miller and His Orchestra with Tex Beneke on lead vocals
YouTube Link: 1942 HITS ARCHIVE: (I’ve Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo - Glenn Miller (Tex-Marion-Mods, voc) (a #1 record)
Wikipedia Link (about the song): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(I%27v..._In)_Kalamazoo
