This Masquerade: E-Z Play Today

The E-Z Play arrangement captures what made Benson's original recording so engaging: a conversational melody that sits naturally in the voice, harmonies that breathe, and space for the player to find their own phrasing. Students grasp immediately why this standard endures, and the simplified voicings don't sacrifice the song's jazz identity.

Urbane and introspective. The song creates a space for honest emotion without sentimentality, the musical equivalent of having someone's undivided attention in conversation. There's sophistication in the harmony, but warmth underneath it.

Piano students working through jazz and pop standards who want material that sounds satisfying at an intermediate level. Teachers looking for accessible yet harmonically interesting repertoire that doesn't require a rhythm section to work in a lesson or recital.

• Treat the melody like sung phrasing rather than written notes. Benson's interpretation relies on subtle rubato and breath pauses that make the tune breathe; the printed page is a starting point, not a fence.
• Balance the left hand accompaniment so it supports without crowding the melody. The bass line carries harmonic interest here, so keep it conversational rather than aggressive.
• Lean into the major seventh and ninth chord extensions. These intervals define the sophisticated warmth of the tune; resist over-voicing them, but let them ring slightly.

Pair this with other Benson-era standards to build a pop/jazz set, or use it as a bridge piece between classical repertoire and jazz study. It fits comfortably in a casual recital, a jazz showcase, or as a solo interlude during a larger concert.

• Reading lead sheet notation with chord symbols
• Voicing seventh and extended chords on piano
• Phrasing and rubato in a jazz/pop context
• Interpreting melody with harmonic awareness
• Balancing written arrangement with personal interpretation