Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Darn That Dream" is a ballad composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Eddie DeLange, introduced in the 1939 Broadway musical Swingin' the Dream. Though the show—a jazz-infused adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream set in 1890s New Orleans—closed after just 13 performances, this one song transcended its origins to become a beloved jazz standard.

The tune follows a 32-bar AABA form in G major. Beneath its seemingly simple surface lies a remarkably sophisticated harmonic structure, employing chromatic bass descents, secondary dominants, tritone substitutions, and modal interchange. The bridge is particularly striking, introducing an abrupt modulation from G major to E♭ major that creates a dramatic tonal shift. Typically performed as a slow ballad, the song's wistful melody and rich chord changes have made it a favorite vehicle for introspective, harmonically adventurous interpretations.

Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, featuring vocalist Mildred Bailey, scored a No. 1 hit with their 1940 recording, rescuing the song from the obscurity of its failed show. Miles Davis gave the tune its definitive jazz treatment on Birth of the Cool (recorded 1949–50), with vocalist Kenny Hagood. Other landmark versions include the intimate duo recording by Bill Evans and Jim Hall on Undercurrent (1962) and Dexter Gordon's deeply expressive rendition on Daddy Plays the Horn (1955).