Origin:

Introduced in the Broadway Musical Roberta.

Style:

Usually played swung, taken at a wide variety of tempos.

Form:

A-B-A-B (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Key:

Most commonly played in D minor.

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is very functional. The A sections begin on Imi and uses a minor II - V of Imi to generate movement. Bars 5-7 feature a very satisfying maneuver of contrary motion between the  descending bassline and the upward moving melody before a final minor II  - V of V ends the section. The B sections begin on V7 and continue to  move Dominant chords through the cycle of 4ths before a II - V resolves to bVIMaj7 to end the form.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 600 times to date. It was first introduced in the 1933 Broadway Musical Roberta by Fay Templeton. The first recording would also come that same year from Leo Reisman and his Orchestra alongside Frank Luther on vocals.  "Yesterdays" went on to become an especially popular number amongst jazz  musicians and countless recordings were made from the likes of Coleman  Hawkins, Art Tatum, Bud Powell, and Artie Shaw to name a few.

JGC Top Picks:

Art Tatum, Live at the Shrine Auditorium, 1949

Buddy Rich and Max Roach, Rich vs. Roach, 1959

Adam Rogers, Sight, 2008