BY THE RIVER SAINTE MARIE - Free Jazz Leadsheet

“by the river sainte marie,” sometimes listed with alternative punctuation in early publications, was written in 1929 by Harry Warren (music) and Edgar Leslie (lyrics). The first notable recording was made the same year by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, recorded in New York, which helped introduce it to a large audience.

Later versions by Bing Crosby and various swing-era bands kept the song in circulation. Its lyrics describe a moment of calm and romantic reflection by a riverside, while the melody moves with a gentle rise and fall characteristic of late-1920s popular ballads. Its AABA structure lends itself to expressive phrasing and subtle harmonic interpretation.