Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"My Buddy" is a sentimental ballad composed by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn, published in 1922. One of the first major collaborations between Donaldson and Kahn, who would go on to write hits like "Makin' Whoopee" and "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," the song was introduced in vaudeville by Al Jolson and quickly became a Tin Pan Alley classic.

Written as a waltz in 3/4 time, typically in G major, the song follows a 32-bar AABA form. The melody is disarmingly simple, with an expressive leap from the tonic to the sixth degree that immediately establishes its emotional tone of longing and loss. The harmony stays largely diatonic, allowing the melody and lyrics to carry the emotional weight. Though written four years after World War I, its themes of missing a departed companion resonated deeply with veterans, and it has been associated with wartime remembrance ever since.

The first recording by Henry Burr in 1922 was among the earliest popular versions. Doris Day performed the song in the 1951 Gus Kahn biopic I'll See You in My Dreams. In jazz, Rosemary Clooney's 1983 album My Buddy features a warm, intimate rendition, while Chet Baker's and Clifford Brown's instrumental interpretations demonstrate how effectively the tune translates to a jazz setting.