Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Ill Wind (You're Blowin' Me No Good)" was composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Ted Koehler in 1934. Written for the 24th edition of the Cotton Club Parade — the last collaboration between Arlen and Koehler at the famed Harlem venue — the song was introduced by vocalist Adelaide Hall.

Set in Ab major, the tune follows a 32-bar AABA form. Arlen's melody is steeped in blues inflections, with chromatic descents and minor-key leanings that give the A sections a brooding, melancholic character. The bridge shifts the tonal center, heightening the sense of emotional turbulence implied by the title. Harmonic movement between major and minor modes creates an evocative push-and-pull that rewards both vocal and instrumental interpretation. Typically taken at a slow to medium tempo, the song demands expressive phrasing and dynamic control.

Among the most celebrated jazz recordings, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers delivered a hard-bop arrangement on The Jazz Messengers (1956), featuring Donald Byrd and Hank Mobley. Lee Morgan's sextet version on Cornbread (1967) is equally compelling. For vocal renditions, Ella Fitzgerald's performance on Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook (1961) stands as the definitive interpretation.