Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is a jazz standard composed by Harold Arlen (1905–1986) with lyrics by Ted Koehler in 1931. It was introduced as part of the Cotton Club revue Rhyth-Mania in Harlem, performed by vocalist Aida Ward with Cab Calloway's orchestra. This was the first collaboration between Arlen and Koehler for the famed nightclub, launching a prolific partnership that would produce classics such as "Stormy Weather" and "I've Got the World on a String."

The tune follows a 32-bar AABA form in the key of F. Arlen's melody skillfully incorporates blue notes within a pop framework, lending the song a swinging sophistication that has made it enduringly popular with jazz musicians. The witty lyrics capture the dilemma of ambivalent love with humor and charm, while the harmonic structure provides a flexible vehicle for improvisation at various tempos. It is frequently used in jazz education as a model for analyzing the AABA form and blues-inflected melody writing.

Cab Calloway's orchestra made the first recording in October 1931, followed by Louis Armstrong's 1932 version. Among later jazz interpretations, Ella Fitzgerald's recording on her 1961 album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook stands out for its scat singing and vocal agility. Thelonious Monk also recorded the tune on his 1967 album Straight, No Chaser.