Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Exactly Like You" was composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields in 1930. The song was introduced by Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence in the Broadway revue Lew Leslie's International Revue, the same show that produced "On the Sunny Side of the Street."

Written in C major with a 32-bar AABA form, this is a bright, swinging tune built on a straightforward I–VI–ii–V cycle. Its accessible chord changes and cheerful melody have made it a perennial jam session favorite. The harmonic simplicity affords wide latitude for improvisation, and the song works equally well at brisk up-tempos or relaxed medium swing. Its directness and adaptability have also made it a staple in jazz education, often among the first standards beginning improvisers learn.

Louis Armstrong recorded an early influential version in 1930, helping establish the song as a jazz vehicle. Swing-era giants including Benny Goodman kept it in regular rotation. Tenor saxophonist Lester Young returned to the tune repeatedly throughout his career, delivering relaxed, melodically inventive performances that exemplify the song's improvisational appeal.