It Was A Very Good Year: E-Z Play Today

This arrangement captures the sophisticated harmonic language that made Sinatra's original recording a classic, and the E-Z Play format makes it accessible without sacrificing the song's elegant phrasing. Students get a direct entry point into jazz standards repertoire, learning how to shape a melody with the kind of restraint and nuance that defined mid-century popular music.

Reflective and nostalgic, with a gentle swing sensibility that invites performers to linger on moments of harmonic beauty. The melody rises and falls with conversational ease, supported by sophisticated but accessible chord changes that feel both classic and singable.

This works well for intermediate pianists exploring jazz standards and singers building a Great American Songbook foundation. It's equally valuable for music theory students studying the harmonic vocabulary of mid-century popular song.

• Shape the vocal line (if singing) or melodic line (if playing) as if telling a story; the lyrics matter even when you're reading music, so understand the arc of the narrative before you begin
• Listen to Sinatra's original recording to absorb the rhythmic flexibility and rubato that brings the tune to life, then find your own interpretation grounded in that tradition
• Balance the accompaniment so it supports rather than overwhelms the melody; the harmony is rich but should never compete for attention

Pair this with other Sinatra standards to create a classic American music set, or use it as a bridge between jazz history and contemporary repertoire. It works equally well in a jazz combos concert, a showcase for student singers, or a pops program that celebrates the Great American Songbook.

• Phrasing and rubato within a jazz standards context
• Reading and interpreting chord changes in a popular song setting
• Understanding the relationship between melody and lyric in interpretive singing
• Voice leading through mid-century jazz harmony