My Man's Gone Now (From "Porgy And Bess"): Lead Sheet

This lead sheet gives guitarists and jazz performers direct access to one of Gershwin's most emotionally affecting songs, stripped to its harmonic and melodic essentials. The resource opens a door to deep study of how a composer of classical training wrote for vernacular contexts, and the chord changes reward careful harmonic analysis alongside intuitive interpretation.

Melancholic and dignified, with the lyricism of the theater intact. The harmonic language moves with emotional depth, balancing minor-key gravity with Gershwin's gift for unexpected chromatic turns and suspended resolutions.

Jazz guitarists, songbook musicians, and anyone studying the intersection of American musical theater and jazz standards. This works equally well for compers seeking harmonic sophistication and soloists building their jazz repertoire.

• Study the harmonic movement carefully; Gershwin's voice leading creates natural phrasing cues that guide both comping choices and melodic shaping.
• Allow space for the lyrical quality of the melody. Even in a jazz context, this song's theater origins demand attention to legit singing and breath points.
• Explore the lead sheet with different rhythmic interpretations. The same changes work across ballad feels, swing feels, and more contemporary approaches.

Pair this with other Just Real Book selections to build a set of Gershwin standards for a recital or jazz ensemble program. It works as a ballad within a longer set list, or as a standalone feature that speaks to serious harmonic study.

• Reading and interpreting lead sheet notation
• Harmonic analysis of extended chords and chromatic voice leading
• Accompanying skills across different rhythmic feels and comping approaches
• Jazz melodic interpretation and phrasing from a theatrical perspective