Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"The Breeze and I" is a popular song adapted from "Andalucía," the second movement of Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona's piano suite Andalucía (c. 1928). English lyrics were added by Al Stillman, transforming the concert piece into a widely performed standard.

The original composition paints a vivid portrait of the Spanish Andalusian landscape, blending Latin rhythmic sensibilities with European romantic harmony. The melody is predominantly minor-key, colored by Spanish-scale inflections and ornamental phrases that lend an exotic, evocative quality. In jazz settings, the tune is often arranged with a Latin or bossa nova feel, and its rich harmonic framework offers soloists ample room for expressive improvisation. The interplay between the piece's classical origins and its jazz potential makes it a distinctive addition to the standard repertoire.

The most commercially successful recording was by the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra with vocalist Bob Eberly in 1940, which reached No. 2 on the charts. Caterina Valente's 1955 version was also a hit. In a jazz context, Dave Liebman explored the tune on his album Besame Mucho and Other Latin Jazz Standards (1994).