Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

A 1937 jazz standard written by Gus Kahn, Bronisław Kaper, and Walter Jurmann for the Marx Brothers film A Day at the Races, where it was performed by Ivie Anderson. The three composers were European immigrants who drew inspiration from the traditional spiritual "All God's Chillun Got Wings."

The tune follows a 32-bar AABA form with a swinging, uptempo character that has made it a favorite at jam sessions. Its chord changes proved especially influential in the bebop era, serving as the harmonic foundation for contrafacts such as Miles Davis's "Little Willie Leaps" and Benny Harris's "Reets and I."

Among the earliest recordings is Duke Ellington and His Orchestra's 1937 version. The standout bebop-era recording is by Sonny Stitt and Bud Powell (1949, Prestige), whose blazing choruses are widely regarded as a masterclass in bebop vocabulary and phrasing.