Cocktails For Two: E-Z Play Today

This E-Z Play arrangement captures the sophisticated elegance of a tune that defined 1930s entertainment without demanding advanced technical facility. Students can experience authentic jazz standards repertoire while focusing on phrasing, swing interpretation, and the stylistic nuances that separate a real standard from casual pop fare.

Urbane and intimate. "Cocktails For Two" unfolds like an overheard conversation at an upscale lounge, all suave melody and unhurried groove. The tune invites relaxation without losing its sharp harmonic sophistication.

Jazz ensemble pianists, student performers building a standards repertoire, and anyone seeking accessible entry into authentic 1930s swing material. The E-Z Play format makes this achievable for intermediate players without sacrificing the style's integrity.

• Shape the melody with careful attention to lyrical phrasing rather than mechanical note accuracy. These eight-bar phrases breathe like vocal lines, so let them expand and contract naturally.
• Approach the comping (accompanying chord figures) with a relaxed, conversational touch. Jazz piano doesn't hammer; it suggests.
• Explore the space between quarter notes and eighth notes to find authentic swing feel. Straight rhythms sound stiff in this style.

Pair this with other standards from the swing era to create a jazz history context within a concert. It also serves nicely as a solo feature or light interlude between larger ensemble works, offering audiences a familiar touchstone while your pianist demonstrates stylistic maturity.

• Swing articulation and rhythmic interpretation
• Chord symbol reading and basic jazz comping
• Vocal phrasing applied to instrumental melody
• Jazz standard repertoire familiarity
• Expressive use of space and silence in accompaniment