If I Had My Way: E-Z Play Today

Wistful and conversational, the kind of tune that sounds like someone's telling you a story over coffee. Klein's arrangement honors the standard's reflective quality while adding just enough jazz texture to make it feel contemporary and alive.

Piano students and teachers seeking repertoire that bridges folk sensibility with jazz flavor. Works especially well for players comfortable with jazz voicings but looking for material rooted in melody rather than complex harmonic analysis.

• Balance the melody line against the harmonic movement so the tune stays prominent even when the accompaniment gets busier.
• Let the jazz inflections breathe; don't rush the syncopated moments or they'll lose their conversational quality.
• Explore dynamic range across the full two pages to shape the song's arc and keep listeners engaged through a shorter form.

Pair this with other jazz standards in a recital that explores how American songwriting crosses genres. Its compact length makes it ideal for a transition moment or as a solo piece in a longer program built around folk-influenced material.

• Jazz voicing vocabulary and comping techniques
• Balancing melody and accompaniment in a solo context
• Expressive phrasing rooted in songlike material