BUT NOT FOR ME - Free Jazz Leadsheet

"but not for me" was composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin in 1930 for the Broadway musical Girl Crazy. Its early recordings include vocal and instrumental treatments by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker, over the decades the piece has been revived by big‑band and small‑combo jazz acts alike.

The song conveys wistful reflection on unreciprocated love and irony within romance. Musically, it uses an A‑B1‑A‑B2 structure over 32 bars, often rendered at a medium tempo and featuring melodic movement that allows vocal or instrumental solos to explore the harmonic progression with subtlety and elegance.