Lullaby Of Broadway: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

This standard has earned its place in jazz and pop standards repertoire for good reason. The melody sits naturally for singers, the harmonic movement is sophisticated enough to reward improvisation, and the lyrical content is instantly recognizable to audiences across generations.

Sophisticated and urbane, with the bittersweet elegance of Depression-era Broadway. The melody has a gently syncopated quality that feels both intimate and theatrical, capturing the wry humor and underlying melancholy the lyrics suggest.

Pianists and keyboardists looking to expand their standards repertoire will find this lead sheet immediately useful for solo performance or ensemble settings. Vocalists preparing for jazz or contemporary standards recitals need this fundamental piece of American musical theater.

• Approach the rhythmic phrasing with a conversational quality; this isn't a ballad that needs excessive rubato, but rather a song that benefits from natural speech-like inflection in the melody.
• Emphasize the harmonic movement in your comping or accompaniment rather than filling space; the chord changes carry the emotional weight of the tune.
• If working with a singer, ensure they're clear on which syllables land on chord changes, as Dubin's lyrical setting sometimes places important harmonic moments on unstressed words.

Include this alongside other standards in a jazz or American songbook concert to give singers a chance to showcase both technical control and interpretive depth. The single-page format makes it ideal for recital programs where you need flexibility in song selection.

• Reading and interpreting lead sheet notation
• Understanding harmonic substitutions in jazz standards
• Developing conversational phrasing in melody singing
• Comping and harmonic accompaniment at the keyboard