THE MAN I LOVE - Free Jazz Leadsheet

"The Man I Love" was composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin in 1924, originally intended for but ultimately cut from the musical "Lady, Be Good!" The earliest commercial recording arrived shortly afterward by Marion Harris, helping usher the song into the American standard repertoire despite its initial theatrical omission.

Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis each contributed influential interpretations that highlighted the song’s poignant emotional landscape. Its yearning lyrics and arching 32-bar melody have made it a core ballad for both singers and instrumentalists, celebrated for its harmonic richness and expressive depth.