“Autumn Leaves”: The Anatomy of Jazz’s Most Famous Standard

“Autumn Leaves”: The Anatomy of Jazz’s Most Famous Standard

If you know anything about jazz, then you’re familiar with Nat King Cole’s 1955 recording of the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves.” I’m sure you know the beautiful lyrics of melancholy and heartbreak: “The falling leaves drift by the window / The autumn leaves of red and gold / I see your lips, the summer kisses / The sun-burned hands I used to hold / Since you went away the days grow long / And soon I’ll hear old winter’s song / But I miss you most of all my darling / When autumn leaves start to fall . . .”

With more than a thousand commercial recordings by mainstream musicians, “Autumn Leaves” is one of the most recorded jazz songs of all time! But do you know the history and evolution of this famous jazz standard? Did you know that the song is actually an English adaptation of a French song? And did you know that the original composer was Hungarian?

Hungarian Joseph Kosma was introduced to Parisian Jacques Prévert in Paris and the two began collaborating on the song, “Les Feuilles Mortes,” which means “The Dead Leaves.” Kosma drew inspiration from his ballet music compositions, as well as Jules Massenet’s “Poème d’octobre No. 4,” and Tchaikovsky’s 1888 Hamlet Overture-Fantasia, Op. 67. The song was completed in 1945 and officially published in 1947.

The most successful recording of “Les Feuilles Mortes” was by Yves Montand in 1949 and sold a million copies within 5 years. Then in 1950, Johnny Mercer wrote the English lyrics, which consist of only two verses, are significantly shorter than the French version. There was also an instrumental piano recording by Roger Williams that topped the Billboard charts in 1955. Over the years, over 1,400 versions have been produced!

So, this autumn, why not have a listen to a few different versions, and see which “Autumn Leaves” is your favorite? Or if you’re a beginner jazz musician, you may want to try playing the song. With its simple AABC form, it’s a great way to become acquainted with jazz harmony.

Did you know that this same form can be found in some of Night is Alive’s music? Check out our albums page and let us know which tunes you can find! Who knows? You might even hear this famous tune “quoted” in improvisational sections…

Here are a few memorable versions of “Autum Leaves” to kick off your listening:

Édith Piaf – Autumn Leaves – 1951

The Ray Charles Singers – Autumn Leaves – 1955

Doris Day – Autumn Leaves – 1956

Frank Sinatra – Autumn Leaves – 1957

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written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

Country Jazz for the County Fair

Country Jazz for the County Fair

The county fair is an American staple. At the end of every summer, when I was a kid, I looked forward to the corn dogs, funnel cakes, and turkey legs! Oh and don’t forget about the fried oreos, fried cheese curds and fried pickles. One time I even had a pickle popsicle. But besides the many delicious treats, there are also livestock and agricultural shows, rides and games, and live entertainment. The county fair is a fun-filled time for the whole family, so, of course, at Night is Alive, we’ve got a country jazz playlist for your weekend!

Janis Siegel, John Di Martino, Aaron Heick & others – Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

The end of the summer is bittersweet, and sometimes, like a summer love or heartbreak, it can make your brown eyes blue. But like this jazzy rendition of Crystal Gayle’s beloved ballad, from Night is Alive’s album Cryin’ In My Whiskey, the end doesn’t have to be heavy and dark. There is also a lightness to be found in endings because that means a new beginning is right around the corner!

Willie Nelson – All of Me

This was originally a 1931 jazz standard written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons. Then in his 1978 album Stardust, Nelson recorded a jazz-inflected version that became a major country hit! So, while you’re dabbing on your blush and applying your lipstick for the county fair, why not listen to the song that entreats a lover to come back. Like Gayle’s tune, this song also somehow ends on a jubilant note.

Janis Siegel, John Di Martino, Aaron Heick & others – Whenever You Come Around

So many country songs are about heartbreak and sadness, but Vince Gill’s famous 1994 hit captures those moments of pure giddiness when love finds you. Is there a special sweetheart that you might bump into at the county fair? Or maybe you’re going with your sweetheart of many years, and you can reminisce on your early days when holding hands still caused you so many butterflies! Either way, this jazzy rendition, from Night is Alive’s album Cryin’ In My Whiskey, will give you heart eyes this fair season.

Louis Armstrong – Your Cheatin’ Heart

Written and recorded by country music legend, Hank Williams, this song is regarded as one of the country genre’s most important standards. On a drive from Nashville, Tennessee to Shreveport, Louisiana in 1952, Williams was inspired to write this song. In the car, he was describing his first wife to his fiance, and said she was a “cheatin’ heart.” Only a year later, jazz legend Louis Armstrong recorded a re-imagining of the tune with swinging rhythms.

Janis Siegel, John Di Martino, Aaron Heick & others – Are You Alright?

Released in 2007 as the first single from Lucinda Williams’s eighth album, this song is a comforting reminder to check in on yourself and others. Maybe you had a bit too much to drink, or a few too many funnel cakes at the fair, and you’re not feeling that good. It’s okay to say goodbye to all that, and go home. Let this jazzy rendition, from Night is Alive’s album Cryin In My Whiskey remind you to take care of yourself!

Check out this music and more on Night is Alive’s albums page.

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

Late-Night Autumn Warmth: Jazz Ballads for Chilly Evenings

Late-Night Autumn Warmth: Jazz Ballads for Chilly Evenings

Even though it’s still only September, the weather has already cooled down significantly! I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been enjoying the lower temperatures and chill in the air. At night, I’ve been leaving all the windows in my apartment open to feel the breeze and listen to the chirps of the crickets as I fall asleep. The chilly evenings also give me a reason to get all cozy and bundled up under a warm blanket with a steaming mug of chamomile tea. I think there is something so comfortable about desiring warmth, rather than trying to escape heat, the latter of which we have been doing all summer! So, to help you stay warm during these chilly autumn nights, Night is Alive has crafted a playlist to warm your hearts.

Lorca Hart Trio – Here’s That Rainy Day

When was the last time that you took a bubble bath? During the heat of the summer, a hot bath was probably the last thing you wanted to do, but now that we’re venturing into autumn, it sounds like the perfect way to relax. Listen to the raindrops patter on your rooftop while you lean back, relax and ease yourself into the warmth of the evening. Here’s that rainy day that the Lorca Hart Trio captures in their song from Night is Alive’s album Colors of Jazz!

WJ3 All-Stars – Cry Me A River

Sometimes I think it’s nice to lean into melancholy by listening to some sad music, like this song from Night is Alive’s album Lovers and Love Songs. The beautiful instrumentals provide a soft backdrop to stay up late binge-reading a book all curled up on the couch. Maybe you’re reading a tragedy, gothic or a romance and there’s thunder and lightning outside! 

Harry Allen Trio – Seems To Me I’ve Heard That Song Before

For some reason the colder weather has got me feeling some deja vu recently. Have you ever experienced deja vu? It somehow feels both spooky and comforting, just like the chills of early autumn. A good friend once told me that experiencing deja vu means that you’re on the right path, that you are following your fate. Like this song, from Night is Alive’s album It Takes 3 portrays, sometimes it just seems to me I’ve heard that song before . . .

Bill Cunliffe, Martin Wind & Tim Horner – Border Widow’s Lament

Wind’s bass in this song, from Night is Alive’s album Border Widow’s Lament, sounds very haunting, hypnotic and gothic, like the early wisps of fall. Autumn is the favorite season of many because it portends harvest and Halloween. Have you thought about what costume you will wear for Halloween? It’s never too early to start brainstorming and planning.

John DiMartino, Joe Magnarelli, Wayne Escoffery & others – Gypsy

As the nights grow longer and daylight shortens, I can’t help but to think of wandering souls. Like the nomadic, free-spirited gypsies, autumn can be a time of rambling and roving. In this song, from Night is Alive’s album Old New Borrowed & Blue, Magnarelli’s wayfaring trumpet evokes a pleasant restlessness. Why not allow that restlessness to inspire a late night walk among the full moon and stars?

Check out this music and more on Night is Alive’s albums page.

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash