The Very Thought Of You: E-Z Play Today

Cole's recording of this Irving Berlin and Victor Young composition captures everything that makes jazz standards essential repertoire. The E-Z Play arrangement makes this accessible without sacrificing the harmonic sophistication that makes the tune rewarding to play.

Intimate and reflective. The piece settles into a conversational quality, as if sharing a private thought. Despite its compact length, the harmonic sophistication and emotional weight make it feel expansive, inviting the player into the contemplative space Cole inhabited so naturally.

This works beautifully for pianists developing their jazz standard vocabulary and for students learning how to interpret popular song with depth and intentionality. Teachers will find it useful when introducing students to the emotional demands of slower tempos and complex harmonic movement.

• Let the chord changes breathe. This standard lives in its harmony, so resist rushing through chord progressions. Give each harmonic color room to resonate.
• Shape the melody with Cole's vocal phrasing in mind. Listen to his recording and notice where he holds, where he leans, and where he pulls back.
• Balance accompaniment texture against the tune itself. The richness here comes from the interplay, not from filling every moment with sound.
• Commit to the ballad tempo. The magic of this piece emerges when you trust the slow harmonic movement and let time expand around the melody.

Pair this with other Cole recordings or other Irving Berlin standards to create a unit on American songwriting. It also serves as a bridge between beginning jazz repertoire and the more harmonically demanding standards that students tackle later, making it ideal for mid-level ensembles exploring the standard songbook.

• Interpreting swing eighth notes and jazz phrasing
• Reading and voicing seventh chords and jazz extensions
• Balancing melody against harmonic accompaniment
• Sustaining expression at slower tempos
• Translating recorded vocal performance into instrumental interpretation