All the Things You Are (Johnny Griffin, Sonny Rollins, Woody Shaw, Phil Woods and Brad Mehldau versions)

Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane and Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Blakey (drums). From the album A Blowin’ Session (1957).

This theme was composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and is a superb starting point for improvisation. Pianist Lennie Tristano and his disciples found in it a great inspiration for creative improvisation. “All the Things You Are” debuted in 1939 in the musical Very Warm for May, which was a failure and ended after seven weeks. However, jazz musicians liked the song, and both Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw made it famous in 1940, although it didn’t reappear on the pop charts thereafter. Nevertheless, it has overcome the fashions and styles of jazz with an impressive resistance and flexibility, remaining in the big bands repertory in the early 1940s and being adopted also by bebop musicians.

Dizzy Gillespie recorded it with Charlie Parker in 1945 and reviewed it at their memorable concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall in 1953. Parker often played it, providing the basis for his “Bird of Paradise”, which he recorded with Miles Davis in 1947. Cool jazz musicians also got in tune with Kern’s theme, which is featured in recordings by Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Art Pepper, the Modern Jazz Quartet and many others. Neither hard bop nor free jazz nor jazz fusion managed to remove it from the standard repertoire. Its popularity among different generations has allowed it to be a common option in collaborations between musicians from different periods, as well as producing intense emotions in simple jam sessions.

The results can be weird and stimulating. First we have the battle between Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan on the 1957 album A Blowing Session. In 1963 Sonny Rollins used a very advanced avant-garde style encouraged by Paul Bley with Coleman Hawkins in Sonny Meets Hawk!. In 1974 Dave Brubeck had the courage to play with Anthony Braxton, Lee Konitz and Roy Haynes, and in 1982 Woody Shaw had a competition with Bobby Hutcherson in Night Music. Finally we have the fiery gathering of the three high-level saxophonists Phil Woods, Antonio Hart and Vincent Herring in Alto Summit from 1996, and Brad Mehldau’s spectacular 7/4 live rendition with his trio in Art of the Trio 4: Back at the Vanguard from 1999.

Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins (tenor sax), Paul Bley (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Roy McCurdy (drums). From the album Sonny Meets Hawk! (1963).

Woody Shaw (trumpet), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Steve Turre (trombone), Mulgrew Miller (piano), Stafford James (bass) and Tony Reedus (drums). From the album Night Music (1983).

Phil Woods, Antonio Hart and Vincent Herring (alto sax), Anthony Wonsey (piano), Reuben Rogers (bass) and Carl Allen (drums). From the album Alto Summit (1996).

Brad Mehldau (piano), Larry Granadier (bass) and Jorge Rossy (drums). From the album Art of the Trio 4: Back at the Vanguard (1999).