![Wes Montgomery (1965) [IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW] @JGCHistory](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y_p2rizvyDw/sddefault.jpg)
Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the album Smokin' at the Half Note, featuring Wes Montgomery – guitar, Wynton Kelly – piano, Paul Chambers – bass, and Jimmy Cobb – drums. Recorded live at the Half Note in New York on June 24, 1965.
The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.
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Some notes about the composition as found on
jazzguitarcomprehensive.com
Composer: Tadd Dameron
Lyricist: Carl Sigman
Year: 1946
Origin: First recorded by Tadd Dameron and his Orchestra in 1946 alongside Sarah Vaughan.
Style: Ballad
Form: A1-A2-B-A1 (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]
Key: Most commonly performed in Ab Major.
Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is functional, however in practice many alternate changes are often used. The A sections begin on IMaj7 before moving to IV7, giving the piece a blues like aesthetic. In Bar 4 it is common to return back to IV7 once again, although a II - V of bIII is sometimes used instead. An ingenious reharmonization from Bill Evans begins the second half of bar 3 with Fmin9 (VImi9) and descends in semi-tones down to Dbmi9 (IImi9 in II - V of bIII). The melody and harmony in bar 5 is borrowed from the coda used in Dizzy Gillespie's arrangement of "Groovin' High" from his original 1945 recording; this device can also be heard on Miles Davis' "Four". Finally, instead of simply using a II - V to return back to the tonic in bar 6, a tri-tone substitution is also sometimes added (II - V of I followed by II - V of bV). The bridge takes place in III Major for the first half, and is sometimes preceded with a deceptive cadence of a II - V of IV which instead resolves to the II - V of III which begins the bridge. The B section then finishes off in V Major before returning to the main theme once again.
Recordings: This song has been recorded over 240 times to date. It was first recorded by Tadd Dameron and his Orchestra in 1946 alongside Sarah Vaughan, and he would also later include it on his 1962 album The Magic Touch. It became a widely popular number among vocalists and instrumentalists alike with recordings being made by the likes of Carmen McRae, Chet Baker, and Kenny Burrell to name a few. It continues to be performed frequently to this day and remains an immensely popular ballad in the standard repertoire.
JGC Top Picks:
Gil Evans, Gil Evans & Ten, 1957
Bill Evans, Moon Beams, 1962
Wynton Kelly Trio & Wes Montgomery, Smokin' at the Half Note, 1965
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DISCLAIMER: This video has been uploaded for educational purposes and is protected under fair-use. This channel will never be monetized and any ads are run solely on behalf of the rightful copyright owner.
#IfYouCouldSeeMeNow #WesMontgomery #WyntonKelly
From the album Smokin' at the Half Note, featuring Wes Montgomery – guitar, Wynton Kelly – piano, Paul Chambers – bass, and Jimmy Cobb – drums. Recorded live at the Half Note in New York on June 24, 1965.
The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.
Join me on Patreon for Lead Sheets, Play-Alongs, Transcriptions, Lessons and much more:
patreon.com/jazzguitarcomprehensive
Some notes about the composition as found on
jazzguitarcomprehensive.com
Composer: Tadd Dameron
Lyricist: Carl Sigman
Year: 1946
Origin: First recorded by Tadd Dameron and his Orchestra in 1946 alongside Sarah Vaughan.
Style: Ballad
Form: A1-A2-B-A1 (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]
Key: Most commonly performed in Ab Major.
Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is functional, however in practice many alternate changes are often used. The A sections begin on IMaj7 before moving to IV7, giving the piece a blues like aesthetic. In Bar 4 it is common to return back to IV7 once again, although a II - V of bIII is sometimes used instead. An ingenious reharmonization from Bill Evans begins the second half of bar 3 with Fmin9 (VImi9) and descends in semi-tones down to Dbmi9 (IImi9 in II - V of bIII). The melody and harmony in bar 5 is borrowed from the coda used in Dizzy Gillespie's arrangement of "Groovin' High" from his original 1945 recording; this device can also be heard on Miles Davis' "Four". Finally, instead of simply using a II - V to return back to the tonic in bar 6, a tri-tone substitution is also sometimes added (II - V of I followed by II - V of bV). The bridge takes place in III Major for the first half, and is sometimes preceded with a deceptive cadence of a II - V of IV which instead resolves to the II - V of III which begins the bridge. The B section then finishes off in V Major before returning to the main theme once again.
Recordings: This song has been recorded over 240 times to date. It was first recorded by Tadd Dameron and his Orchestra in 1946 alongside Sarah Vaughan, and he would also later include it on his 1962 album The Magic Touch. It became a widely popular number among vocalists and instrumentalists alike with recordings being made by the likes of Carmen McRae, Chet Baker, and Kenny Burrell to name a few. It continues to be performed frequently to this day and remains an immensely popular ballad in the standard repertoire.
JGC Top Picks:
Gil Evans, Gil Evans & Ten, 1957
Bill Evans, Moon Beams, 1962
Wynton Kelly Trio & Wes Montgomery, Smokin' at the Half Note, 1965
Please consider supporting this channel through a donation,
paypal.com/paypalme/jazzguitarc
You can also support me on Patreon for much more musical content,
patreon.com/jazzguitarcomprehensive
Be sure to subscribe to my main channel:
youtube.com/channel/UCsHefbnzId7of6XcFJWh8UQ
As well as my second channel for Play-Alongs and Loops:
youtube.com/channel/UCPZJrGlk1zNvczjpbNbyOiA
The World's Premier Site for Jazz Guitar Education and Beyond
jazzguitarcomprehensive.com
DISCLAIMER: This video has been uploaded for educational purposes and is protected under fair-use. This channel will never be monetized and any ads are run solely on behalf of the rightful copyright owner.
#IfYouCouldSeeMeNow #WesMontgomery #WyntonKelly
![Wes Montgomery (1965) [IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y_p2rizvyDw/mqdefault.jpg "Wes Montgomery (1965) [IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW]
From the album Smokin at the Half Note, featuring Wes Montgomery – guitar, Wynton Kelly – piano, Paul Chambers – bass, and Jimmy Cobb – drums. Recorded live at the Half Note in New York on June 24, 1965.
The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.
Join me on Patreon for Lead Sheets, Play-Alongs, Transcriptions, Lessons and much more:
https://www.patreon.com/jazzguitarcomprehensive
Some notes about the composition as found on
https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/
Composer: Tadd Dameron
Lyricist: Carl Sigman
Year: 1946
Origin: First recorded by Tadd Dameron and his Orchestra in 1946 alongside Sarah Vaughan.
Style: Ballad
Form: A1-A2-B-A1 (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]
Key: Most commonly performed in Ab Major.
Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is functional, however in practice many alternate changes are often used. The A sections begin on IMaj7 before moving to IV7, giving the piece a blues like aesthetic. In Bar 4 it is common to return back to IV7 once again, although a II - V of bIII is sometimes used instead. An ingenious reharmonization from Bill Evans begins the second half of bar 3 with Fmin9 (VImi9) and descends in semi-tones down to Dbmi9 (IImi9 in II - V of bIII). The melody and harmony in bar 5 is borrowed from the coda used in Dizzy Gillespies arrangement of Groovin High from his original 1945 recording; this device can also be heard on Miles Davis Four. Finally, instead of simply using a II - V to return back to the tonic in bar 6, a tri-tone substitution is also sometimes added (II - V of I followed by II - V of bV). The bridge takes place in III Major for the first half, and is sometimes preceded with a deceptive cadence of a II - V of IV which instead resolves to the II - V of III which begins the bridge. The B section then finishes off in V Major before returning to the main theme once again.
Recordings: This song has been recorded over 240 times to date. It was first recorded by Tadd Dameron and his Orchestra in 1946 alongside Sarah Vaughan, and he would also later include it on his 1962 album The Magic Touch. It became a widely popular number among vocalists and instrumentalists alike with recordings being made by the likes of Carmen McRae, Chet Baker, and Kenny Burrell to name a few. It continues to be performed frequently to this day and remains an immensely popular ballad in the standard repertoire.
JGC Top Picks:
Gil Evans, Gil Evans & Ten, 1957
Bill Evans, Moon Beams, 1962
Wynton Kelly Trio & Wes Montgomery, Smokin at the Half Note, 1965
Please consider supporting this channel through a donation,
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jazzguitarc
You can also support me on Patreon for much more musical content,
https://www.patreon.com/jazzguitarcomprehensive
Be sure to subscribe to my main channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsHefbnzId7of6XcFJWh8UQ
As well as my second channel for Play-Alongs and Loops:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPZJrGlk1zNvczjpbNbyOiA
The Worlds Premier Site for Jazz Guitar Education and Beyond
https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/
DISCLAIMER: This video has been uploaded for educational purposes and is protected under fair-use. This channel will never be monetized and any ads are run solely on behalf of the rightful copyright owner.
#IfYouCouldSeeMeNow #WesMontgomery #WyntonKelly")
![Larry Young (1966) [SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yzLC45wqp80/mqdefault.jpg "Larry Young (1966) [SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN]
From the album Seven Steps to Heaven, featuring Eddie Gale – trumpet, James Spaulding – alto saxophone, Herbert Morgan – tenor saxophone, and Wilson Moorman III – drums. Recorded on July 28, 1966 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs New Jersey.
The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.
Join me on Patreon for Lead Sheets, Play-Alongs, Transcriptions, Lessons and much more:
https://www.patreon.com/jazzguitarcomprehensive
Some notes about the composition as found on
https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/
Composer: Miles Davis, Victor Feldman
Year: 1963
Origin: Introduced on the album Seven Steps to Heaven.
Style: Swing, often played at very fast tempos.
Form: A-A-B-A (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]
The intro vamp of I13 - bVII13 is also used as a send-off between soloists, as well as an outro.
Key: F Major
Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is functional. The A sections of the solo sections begin on IMaj7 before a minor II - V of VI leads to a II - V of V. A final II - V then returns to the tonic. The bridge begins on VMaj7 and uses II - Vs to ascend tonal centers up in minor 3rds; C - Eb - Gb. The head features many orchestrated shots and uses slightly different harmony than the solos, although still remains for the most part diatonic.
Recordings: This song has been recorded over 90 times to date. It was first introduced on the 1963 Miles Davis album Seven Steps to Heaven, and he would also record it live the following year on the album Four & More. It continues to be one of Miles Davis most popular compositions and remains as a jam session mainstay.
JGC Top Picks:
Miles Davis, Four & More, 1964
Lonnie Smith, Live at Club Mozambique, 1970
Ray Brown Trio, Seven Steps to Heaven, 1995
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DISCLAIMER: This video has been uploaded for educational purposes and is protected under fair-use. This channel will never be monetized and any ads are run solely on behalf of the rightful copyright owner.
#LarryYoung #SevenStepsToHeaven #Jazz")
![Miles Davis (1956) [DEAR OLD STOCKHOLM]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zOSYygfWQT8/mqdefault.jpg "Miles Davis (1956) [DEAR OLD STOCKHOLM]
From the album Round About Midnight, featuring Miles Davis – trumpet, John Coltrane – tenor saxophone, Red Garland – piano, Paul Chambers – bass, and Philly Joe Jones – drums. Recorded on at Columbia studios in New York City on June 5, 1956.
Check out a Play-Along featuring this exact arrangement!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-K_syv6Xec&list=PL7DAmzxt2r-CnAPt6MnFUDzylmn1SYAs9&index=2
The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.
Join me on Patreon for Lead Sheets, Play-Alongs, Transcriptions, Lessons and much more:
https://www.patreon.com/jazzguitarcomprehensive
Some notes about the composition as found on
https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/
Composer: Swedish Traditional
Origin: First recorded in 1916 by Joel Mossberg.
Style: Most commonly played as a medium up swing.
Form: A1-A1-B-A2-C (48 Bars) [12-12-4-6-9]
While the original folk melody is just a two-part theme, Miles Davis arrangement from Round About Midnight has become the standard for how jazz musicians approach this tune.
Key: D minor
Harmony/Overview: The melody of this composition is very simple and folk-oriented, and the harmony that has become common-place when approaching this tune in a jazz context is also very conventional. It is entirely diatonic with the A sections taking place in the relative minor and the B section taking place in Major. Miles Davis arrangement included a vamp in the A sections which revolves around orchestrated shots on Dmi/A - Dmi#5/A, and he also included a V7sus vamp of I at the end of the form.
Recordings: This song has been recorded over 180 times to date. It is a Swedish folk song so the original composer is unknown, however Anders Fryxell and Fredrik August Dahlgren are credited to be the Swedish lyricists. The first recording comes from Joel Mossberg in 1916 as Värmlandsvisan. Stan Getz was the first jazz musician to adapt this composition to a jazz context when he recorded it in 1951. Ultimately, it would be Miles Davis seminal recording from Round About Midnight which solidified its place in the jazz repertoire and helped it to achieve widespread appeal among jazz audiences.
JGC Top Picks:
Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, 1957
Bud Powell, Bud Powell in Paris, 1963
John Coltrane, Dear Old Stockholm, 1965
Please consider supporting this channel through a donation,
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DISCLAIMER: This video has been uploaded for educational purposes and is protected under fair-use. This channel will never be monetized and any ads are run solely on behalf of the rightful copyright owner.
#MilesDavis #DearOldStockholm #Jazz")
![Buddy Rich (1960) [CHEEK TO CHEEK]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zcjczswDSMc/mqdefault.jpg "Buddy Rich (1960) [CHEEK TO CHEEK]
From the album Playtime, featuring Buddy Rich - drums, Sam Most - flute, Don Goldie - trumpet, Wilbur Wynne - guitar, Johnny Morris - piano, and Mike Mainieri - vibraphone. Recorded in October of 1960.
The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.
Join me on Patreon for Lead Sheets, Play-Alongs, Transcriptions, Lessons and much more:
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Some notes about the composition as found on
https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/
Composer: Irving Berlin
Year: 1935
Origin: Introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1935 film Top Hat.
Style: Swing, taken at a wide variety of tempos.
Form: A-A-B-C-A (72 Bars) [16-16-16-8-16]
Key: Most commonly played in C Major.
Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is functional. The A sections are centered mainly around a I - VI - II - V, and oftentimes many variations thereof are used. In the 5th bar the harmony inches upwards through IMaj7 - IImi7 - bIIIdim7 - IIImi7 before arriving at bVII7#11. A II7 - V7 of V then leads to V7 - IImi7 - IIImi7 - IV7 before arriving once again at bVII7#11. A V of II is then used to set-up the final II - V which returns back to the tonic to conclude the section. The B section cycles through a II - V - I - VI in the home key. The C section begins in the parallel minor, and it is very common to precede the bVI7 which follows with a IImi7 as in a II - V of bII. A minor II - V in the home key then concludes the section before setting up the tonic once more for the final A section.
Recordings: This song has been recorded over 445 times to date. It was first recorded by Leo Reisman and his Orchestra with Fred Astaire on vocals in June of 1935, and Astaire would also introduce it later that year in the the Musical Comedy film Top Hat. It would become a popular number amongst jazz musicians, with recordings coming from Teddy Wilson, Red Norvo, Oscar Peterson, and Buddy DeFranco to name a few. It has also become an especially popular number among vocalists.
JGC Top Picks:
Red Mitchell, Presenting Red Mitchell, 1957
Madeline Eastman, Mad About Madeline!, 1991
Stephen Scott, The Enja Heritage Collection: Vision Quest, 1998
Please consider supporting this channel through a donation,
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DISCLAIMER: This video has been uploaded for educational purposes and is protected under fair-use. This channel will never be monetized and any ads are run solely on behalf of the rightful copyright owner.
#BuddyRich #CheekToCheek #Jazz")
![Stephen Scott (1991) [PENT-UP HOUSE]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zrbQHt7WFvo/mqdefault.jpg "Stephen Scott (1991) [PENT-UP HOUSE]
From the album Something to Consider, featuring Christian McBride - bass, Jeff Tain Watts - drums, Stephen Scott - piano, and Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone. Recorded on March 18, 1991.
The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.
Join me on Patreon for Lead Sheets, Play-Alongs, Transcriptions, Lessons and much more:
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Some notes about the composition as found on
https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/
Composer: Sonny Rollins
Year: 1956
Origin: Introduced on the album Sonny Rollins Plus 4.
Style: Swing, usually played at a medium-up tempo.
Form: A-B (16 Bars) [8-8]
The head is typically played twice on the way in and out.
Key: G Major
Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is very conventional, being made up entirely of II - Vs. The first 8 bars are centered entirely around a II - V - I, and the B section continues with a II -V of IV, then a II - V of bIII before returning back to the main theme once again. The head features an arrangement that revolves around 3 beat figures (dotted quarter notes) and the entire band often catches the orchestrated shots.
Recordings: This song has been recorded over 75 times to date. It was first recorded in 1956 for the album Sonny Rollins Plus 4. It has since been recorded by many of the greats and has taken many modern interpretations since.
JGC Top Picks:
Stephen Scott, Something to Consider, 1991
Jochen Rueckert, Introduction, 1998
Ari Hoenig, NY Standard, 2018
Please consider supporting this channel through a donation,
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As well as my second channel for Play-Alongs and Loops:
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The Worlds Premier Site for Jazz Guitar Education and Beyond
https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/
DISCLAIMER: This video has been uploaded for educational purposes and is protected under fair-use. This channel will never be monetized and any ads are run solely on behalf of the rightful copyright owner.
#StephenScott #PentUpHouse #Jazz")
