This is introspection wrapped in elegance. The melody moves with conversational ease, while Porter's harmonic language creates moments of unexpected tenderness and harmonic sophistication. You emerge from performing it feeling like you've had an honest conversation about possession and desire, which is exactly what Porter intended.
Who it's for
Jazz vocalists and classical singers looking to develop jazz standard repertoire. Piano students will appreciate the sophisticated comping figures and find the accompaniment supportive without being overly simplistic.
How to get the most out of it
Treat the rhythm section as a conversation partner rather than a strict timekeeper. The piano and voice should breathe together, especially through the ballad sections where rubato creates intimacy.
Pay attention to Porter's lyrical curves. Some phrases resolve on unexpected beats, and singers who force them into predictable metric slots lose the sophistication of the writing.
Let the bridge expand slightly in tempo and space. This section's modulation benefits from a small amount of harmonic breathing before returning to the original key.
The final statement of the melody works best when stripped of extra ornamentation. Cole wrote this song to sing simply, and clarity serves the text.
How to use it
Include this on a concert exploring American songbook traditions, pairing it with other Cole Porter compositions or contemporary interpretations of standards. It works beautifully as a solo feature in a jazz or pops concert, or as the opening number if you're building a program around vocal jazz.
Skills your students will build
Swing articulation and rhythmic displacement in melody
Harmonic navigation through modulation and chromatic voice leading
Jazz phrasing with attention to lyrical content over strict metric placement
Piano comping with independence between hands
Vocal stylization while maintaining legit tone production
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