Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Will You Still Be Mine" was composed by Matt Dennis in 1941 with lyrics by Tom Adair. Dennis served as arranger and composer for the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, producing fourteen songs recorded by the band in a single year, including "Everything Happens to Me" and later the classic "Angel Eyes."

The tune is a 32-bar AABA form almost always performed at a brisk medium to uptempo. Its rhythmically buoyant melody is full of swing and forward momentum, making it an ideal vehicle for blowing. The chord changes include some clever modulations that keep improvisers engaged, and the overall feel is lighter and more playful than Dennis's better-known ballads. The song is rarely treated as a slow number—its natural habitat is the energetic jam session.

The original recording was made in 1941 by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with vocalist Connie Haines. The definitive jazz version is Miles Davis's recording on Musings of Miles (1955), featuring Red Garland on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Sonny Rollins also recorded a notable version.