Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" was composed by George Bassman with lyrics by Ned Washington in 1932. First recorded by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, the song became indelibly associated with Tommy Dorsey, who adopted it as his orchestra's theme beginning in 1935 and earned the lasting nickname "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing."

The form is a 32-bar AABA with a two-measure tag. The standard key is F major. The A sections feature a distinctive chromatic descending progression from the tonic, incorporating relative minor substitutions and a bVII chord that adds harmonic color before resolving through ii-V-I cadences. The bridge shifts to the relative A minor, deepening the sentimental mood with heightened tonal contrast. Written to suit the expressive range of the trombone, the melody unfolds in broad, lyrical phrases with gentle leaps, making it a natural fit for slow ballad performance.

Tommy Dorsey's 1935 recording stands as the iconic rendition, a masterclass in trombone balladry. Ella Fitzgerald's intimate version on Sings Songs from Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960), accompanied by a piano trio, is a treasured vocal interpretation. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass brought the tune to a pop audience with their 1965 arrangement on the album Going Places.