‘All the Things You Are’ is a song from the Broadway musical “Very Warm for May” which opened November 17, 1939, It was Jerome Kern’s last Broadway musical, and it was a total commercial disaster. The second night of the show Alvin Theater was almost empty because of the horrible reviews it got from the critics the day after the premiere. “Very Warm for May” closed after only 59 performances but from this failure emerged “All the Things You Are,” a song that many regard to be Kern’s finest composition. He wrote the piece for his personal creative satisfaction, with harmonies much more complex than the usual pop songs of the time. The lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II were out of time - modest and sentimental while the work of other top lyricists then was smart, bright, and witty. But neither the harmonic structure, nor the lyrics proved to be an obstacle, and the song soon became a favorite of the audiences and a standard for jazz musicians. That was evident shortly after the Broadway show, as evidenced by its appearance on the pop charts for 13 weeks (beginning in 1939) with the Tommy Dorsey Band peaking at the number one position.
In 1940 it charted with Artie Shaw and His Orchestra (Helen Forrest, vocal), rising to number eight, and with Frankie Masters and His Orchestra (Harlan Rogers, vocal), rising to number fourteen.
In 1943, MGM produced “Broadway Rhythm,” a Technicolor musical inspired by Very Warm for May, which retained only “All the Things You Are” from the original score, this time, sung by Ginny Simms. Like the show, the movie was a complete failure, with terrible reviews and empty theaters. However, the song managed to survive both disasters.
Tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins was, along with Tatum and Artie Shaw, among the first jazz musicians to recognize and record many tunes that have become standards. A fixture on New York’s 52nd Street in the 1940s, Hawkins recorded a memorable version of “All the Things You Are” in 1944. That same year pianist Erroll Garner, in one of his first recording sessions, cut a double-sided 78 version of the tune.
“All the Things You Are” and its chord progression became essential to the bebop movement, so it is not surprising to find definitive recordings of the tune coming from the giants of bop. The famous Massey Hall concert of 1953 (“Jazz at Massey Hall”) produced a classic version featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach.
Sonny Rollins, in a trio with Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones, gives us an exploratory and fiery “All the Things You Are.” In 1963, he would revisit the tune in collaboration with his hero, Coleman Hawkins.
Here are some of the finest versions of this jazz standard. Until next time - enjoy!
