My One And Only: E-Z Play Today

Warm, unhurried, and deeply romantic. This standard wraps itself around you like an old photograph, full of tender moments and gentle syncopation that rewards subtle dynamic shaping. The melody opens up naturally in three pages, giving you room to breathe.

Adult learners and late-intermediate teenage pianists discovering jazz standards for the first time. This arrangement welcomes players who read single-staff melodies comfortably but haven't yet tackled chord symbols or complex jazz voicings.

• Establish the swing eighth-note pulse early in rehearsal. Have students tap the ride cymbal rhythm (or its piano equivalent) against straight eighths to internalize the feel before playing the melody.
• Listen to a vocal recording of the standard to absorb phrasing and rubato. E-Z Play notation can flatten the song's natural elasticity, so let the voice guide your interpretation.
• Treat the left hand as a conversation partner, not accompaniment. Jazz standards live in the dialogue between melody and harmony, so balance the voices rather than burying the comping underneath.

Pair this with other standards in a "Great American Songbook" recital segment, or use it as a solo piano interlude between larger ensemble pieces. It works beautifully as a closing number for a jazz appreciation concert because it sets a reflective, accessible tone that audiences instantly connect with.

• Reading single-staff jazz melodies with swing articulation
• Interpreting jazz voicings and left-hand comping patterns
• Developing rubato and phrasing in American song standards
• Understanding harmonic structure through simplified lead-sheet harmony