All the Things You Are
Like “The Lamp is Low,” this one also came out in the 30s, written in 1939 by Jerome Kern for a show that did really poorly. He also didn’t expect this tune to become a hit given its complexity, particularly the enharmonic transition that occurs from the G# at the end of the bridge (the major 3rd of the E major harmony) to the Ab that serves as the b13 of C7 and the minor 3rd of the F-7 that kicks off the last A.
I took some time to dial in a good sound for this video, which I normally don’t have the patience to do, given it requires all sorts of gear manipulation and computers and software. I’d rather just plop down my phone and go for it, but I also realize the sound on those sucks.
I’ve also included some “analysis” of the tune, which on one hand is complex enough that it basically plays itself. On the other, it’s not easy, despite being one of the first tunes most jazz musicians learn. What I’ve tried to provide is a practical roadmap that describes the tune in a very streamlined way, without losing any of the harmonic complexity. Basically how I “visualize” the tune in my head when improvising.
Generally I think in terms of levels of tension, represented by the red “waves” below. Put simply, the first 5 bars are just Ab to me, with gradually more tension that releases in the 4th bar and increases slightly in the 5th (subdominant level of tension). For me, relative to the key center:
a “Tonic” level of tension doesn’t emphasize the 4th scale degree (in this case Db) at all…
“Subdominant” emphasizes the 4th degree but not the 7th (G), and…
“Dominant” emphasizes the 4th and 7th scale degrees and altered sounds are “allowed.”
There are of course shades of grey, and you’ll also want to incorporate other frameworks like outlining the chords w/ arpeggios, following the melody, etc., but for straight up blowing, I really think you need a very streamlined framework that spans several bars, vs. thinking about each chord change in isolation.
