The Second Time Around: Lead Sheet

Shearing's interpretations of these standards demonstrate how to honor a song's melodic integrity while reimagining its harmonic landscape. The lead sheet format captures his approach to comping and voicing choices, making it an invaluable resource for pianists and singers learning how sophisticated jazz arranging enhances rather than obscures a great tune.

Elegant, conversational, and deeply musical. These standards feel refined and unhurried, with space for the lyric to land and the melody to sing through sophisticated but never cluttered harmony. Shearing's touch brings a pianistic elegance to songs often played in simpler ways, elevating the listening experience while remaining rooted in the song's essential character.

Pianists studying jazz standards and looking to deepen their harmonic vocabulary through a master's interpretations. Singers preparing to perform these classics with jazz accompaniment will find Shearing's chord choices and voicing suggestions particularly instructive for understanding how accompaniment shapes phrasing and emotional color.

• Study Shearing's recorded versions before interpreting these lead sheets; his harmonic innovations are the main pedagogical point, and hearing them provides essential context for understanding the voicings notated here.
• Pay attention to the chord extensions and alterations marked throughout; they're not decorative but functional, showing how Shearing resolves tension and creates forward motion in his comping.
• Balance melody and accompaniment carefully, especially when playing and singing simultaneously; Shearing's sound depends on clarity rather than density, so leave space in your voicings for the vocal line to breathe.

Include these lead sheets in a standards unit where students learn the difference between a tune's basic structure and how master musicians reimagine it. They work particularly well paired with listening assignments and transcription study, giving students both aural and written reference points for understanding jazz arranging choices.

• Reading and interpreting jazz chord symbols and extensions
• Understanding voice leading principles through harmonic analysis
• Adapting accompaniment patterns to support a vocalist's phrasing
• Recognizing how substitutions and alterations can enhance harmonic movement
• Balancing accompaniment and melody in ensemble playing