FULL MOON AND EMPTY ARMS - Free Jazz Leadsheet

full moon and empty arms was composed by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman in 1945, adapting the melody of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 into a romantic ballad. Its sweeping melodic lines invite expressive performance in both vocal and instrumental settings.

The first recording was by Frank Sinatra in New York City in 1945, featuring lush orchestration that emphasized the tune’s emotional resonance. The song follows a 32-bar AABA structure with long, lyrical phrases that highlight harmonic tension and resolution.

Subsequent recordings by Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole have reinforced its status as a romantic standard. Lyrically, it portrays longing and unfulfilled love, offering performers a chance to communicate profound emotional nuance.