CARELESS LOVE - Free Jazz Leadsheet

“careless love” is a traditional song that evolved from 19th-century American folk and blues sources. One of the earliest influential recordings was made in 1925 by Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong, which helped establish the piece as a blues standard.

The song has been performed in many styles—from blues to early jazz to folk revivals. Its lyrics describe sorrow, regret, and the consequences of love gone wrong. Musically, it is often delivered in a slow or medium blues framework, allowing singers and instrumentalists ample room for expressive bending, phrasing, and personal interpretation.