Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"On the Sunny Side of the Street" is an optimistic standard composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields for the 1930 Broadway revue Lew Leslie's International Revue. Some historians suggest Fats Waller may have been the uncredited composer, though this remains unconfirmed.

The tune follows a 32-bar AABA form, most commonly played in C. From its opening bars, the bouncing ascending melody radiates a sunny disposition that perfectly matches the lyric's uplifting message about leaving worries behind. The harmony includes satisfying I-vi-ii-V cycles and chromatic passing chords, providing fertile ground for improvisation. This is one of the most universally loved jazz standards, equally at home in Dixieland, swing, and modern jazz settings.

The quintessential jazz recording is by Louis Armstrong, whose joyful trumpet and vocal embody the song's spirit. Dizzy Gillespie's Sonny Side Up (1959, Verve), featuring a thrilling tenor battle between Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins, showcases the tune's potential as a fiery jam session vehicle.