Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Polka Dots And Moonbeams" is a 1940 ballad composed by Jimmy Van Heusen, one of the most prolific songwriters of the Great American Songbook. Van Heusen penned such classics as "Here's That Rainy Day," "It Could Happen to You," and "Come Fly with Me," and was Frank Sinatra's favorite songwriter. This song, recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, became Sinatra's first hit.

The tune follows a 32-bar AABA form, most commonly played in F major. Its gentle, warmly lyrical melody paints a picture of love at first sight at a country dance. The harmony is built on smooth ii-V-I progressions with tasteful modulations in the bridge. Typically performed as a slow ballad, the song was a particular favorite of tenor saxophonist Lester Young, who recorded it on multiple occasions.

Among the essential jazz recordings, Wes Montgomery's version on The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (1960) stands out for its gorgeous octave-technique treatment of the melody. Lester Young's several recordings offer characteristically relaxed and melodic interpretations that have become touchstones for the tune.