What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?: Lead Sheet

This standard sits at the intersection of craftsmanship and accessibility. Legrand's melody is built on elegant harmonic movement that rewards close listening while remaining singable and memorable; musicians at any level can find something genuine in it. The lead sheet format lets you hear how the tune really lives in improvisation and reharmonization, not just as a finished recording.

Romantic without being sentimental. The melody moves with quiet certainty through changes that feel inevitable; there's a poignancy in its simplicity and a depth in its harmonic architecture that invites you to slow down and listen.

Jazz musicians learning to read and improvise from lead sheets, ensemble players building their standards repertoire, and teachers seeking authentic arrangements that honor the composer's original intent while offering room for individual interpretation.

• Listen to versions by Bill Evans and Chet Baker to hear how the rubato and phrasing shape the tune's introspective quality; the flexibility comes from understanding where the harmonic weight sits.
• Explore the chord substitutions indicated in the fakebook; they reveal how different harmonic choices can deepen or lighten the emotional arc without losing the song's core identity.
• Pay attention to the bridge and how it repositions you harmonically; the journey back to the original key is as important as the melody itself.

Pair this with other Legrand compositions or classic standards from the Just Real Books collection for a focused program on film and Broadway songwriting. It works equally well as a solo feature or as part of a jazz ensemble set where musicians can demonstrate their ability to navigate a sophisticated melody and harmonic landscape.

• Reading lead sheet notation and chord symbols
• Analyzing and choosing between original and substitute chord changes
• Phrasing melody over jazz harmonies and understanding rubato
• Building improvisation skills on a standard with a clear melodic anchor