Chord Charts
Lead Sheets for all instruments
available exclusively through
All the Things You Are
Composer:
Jerome Kern
Lyricist:
Oscar Hammerstein II
Year:
1939
Origin:
Introduced in Kern’s last musical Very Warm for May.
Style:
Introduced at a leisurely tempo, it has come to be taken in a wide variety of treatments.
Form:
A1–A2–B–C (36 Bars) [8-8-8-12]
Intro:
The iconic figure first played by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker has become synonymous with the tune and is often used as an introduction/ending.
Verse:
A-B (16 Bars) [8-8]
Very rarely played, the verse takes place in the Major key a semi-tone below the tonic. Dorothy Kirsten's 1951 recording includes a concise interpretation of the verse.
Key:
Most often played in Ab major.
Harmony/Overview:
The harmony is of this composition is altogether functional, although the piece changes key centers frequently. The first A section begins on the VImi and cycles diatonically through fourths, lending the melody a strong sense of inevitability while the initial theme is stated. The second A section is virtually the same only transposed down a 4th. The bridge then cycles through two new key centers using II - V - I's. The final C section is begins similarly to the A sections, although it adds an additional 4 bars to finish with the cliché ending of IV - IVmi - IIImi - bIIIdim.
Recordings:
This song has been recorded over 850 times to date. Recreations of the original Very Warm for May score have been made and early renditions from the likes of Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey offer great insight into the initial conception of this piece as a jazz vehicle. Nearly every notable jazz musicians has recorded this song at least once in their career and it continues to be one of the most popular standards in the repertoire.
JGC Top Picks:
Joe Henderson, The State of The Tenor, 1985
Brad Mehldau, The Art of The Trio Vol. 4, 1999
Jon Gordon, The Things You Are, 2006
Play-Alongs
To receive this Play-Along and hundreds more,
join me on Patreon!
They are also available for
purchase here
Recordings
Exhaustive List In Chronological Order
Additional Readings
Oscar Hammerstein II (Lyricist)