Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"For All We Know" was composed by J. Fred Coots with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and published in 1934. Singer Morton Downey, known as "the Irish Nightingale," introduced the song on his popular radio program. Early charting versions by Hal Kemp and Isham Jones and their orchestras established its popularity. This song should not be confused with the identically titled 1970 Oscar-winning song from the film Lovers and Other Strangers.

The song is a 32-bar ballad form with a poignant, emotionally rich melody that perfectly complements its bittersweet lyric about the uncertainty of future meetings. The harmony features romantic progressions enriched with secondary dominants and diminished chords that add depth and emotional shading. Typically performed as a slow ballad, the song demands expressive phrasing and dynamic sensitivity from the performer, with the melody offering opportunities for intimate, nuanced interpretation.

One of the most moving jazz recordings is Billie Holiday's 1958 version on Lady in Satin, accompanied by Ray Ellis and his orchestra with strings—Holiday's raw, vulnerable vocal against the lush arrangement remains deeply affecting. Nat King Cole's warm 1949 recording is also widely admired. Donny Hathaway's soulful 1972 rendition on the album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, produced by Joel Dorn, brought the song to a new generation of listeners.