Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

Matt Dennis composed this haunting ballad in 1946, with lyrics by Earl K. Brent. Dennis was a pianist-songwriter known for crafting several hits for Frank Sinatra, including "Everything Happens to Me" and "The Night We Called It a Day." The song was introduced in the 1953 film Jennifer, in which Dennis himself performed it.

In AABA form and typically played in C minor, "Angel Eyes" features richly chromatic harmony with frequent II-V-I progressions weaving through the A sections. The bridge modulates to a major key, offering a fleeting sense of hope before returning to minor—a structure that perfectly mirrors the lyric's bittersweet mood. Often performed as a ballad or at medium tempo, it is considered the quintessential "saloon song," evoking solitude and longing.

Frank Sinatra's recording on Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely (1958) is the most celebrated version; he also chose "Angel Eyes" to close his 1971 retirement concert. Ella Fitzgerald recorded it at least four times and called it her favorite song. Notable instrumental versions include those by guitarist Kenny Burrell and Pat Metheny.