Days Of Wine And Roses: E-Z Play Today

This standard captures everything that makes mid-century popular song worth playing: a singable melody with harmonic sophistication, lyrics that paint a vivid scene, and enough structural clarity to reveal the craft underneath. Students at this level get to inhabit a piece that professionals return to throughout their careers.

Bittersweet and nostalgic, with a minor key sensibility that carries wistfulness rather than sadness. The song unfolds like a memory being recounted, moving from intimate verses into a bridge that reaches upward before settling back into reflection.

Pianists who want to explore jazz standards without tackling complex chord voicings or reharmonization. Students moving from classical sight-reading into songbook repertoire will find the E-Z Play format accessible while the melody and harmonic progressions remain musically substantial.

• Treat the melody line as a vocalist would. Phrase through the bar lines rather than stopping at them, especially in the bridge where the harmonic rhythm accelerates.
• Let the comping underneath breathe. The E-Z Play format simplifies the accompaniment, so resist over-playing it; clarity matters more than density.
• Pay attention to the lyrical rhythm even if you're playing an instrumental version. The phrasing of 'Days of wine and roses' shapes how the melody sits in the measure.

Pair this with other Mercer standards to build a recital around the golden age of American songwriting, or use it as a bridge piece between classical and jazz curricula. It works equally well in a casual concert setting where lyrical standards share the program with contemporary music.

• Reading lead sheet notation and chord symbols
• Interpreting jazz phrasing and rubato within a traditional form
• Comping fundamentals with simplified voicings
• Understanding the relationship between melody shape and harmonic function