AUTUMN LEAVES - Free Jazz Leadsheet

'Autumn Leaves,' originally 'Les Feuilles Mortes,' was composed by Joseph Kosma with lyrics by Jacques Prévert in 1945 and later adapted into English by Johnny Mercer. Its first recordings captured the melancholy beauty of falling leaves and lost love.

It has become a cornerstone of jazz repertoires, recorded by artists such as Nat King Cole, Chet Baker, and Cannonball Adderley. The lyrics reflect longing, nostalgia, and the passage of time.

Musically, the song uses a 32-bar form with descending harmonic progressions that facilitate lyrical solos, expressive phrasing, and melodic improvisation.