EMALINE - Free Jazz Leadsheet

"emaline" was composed by Duke Ellington in 1934. The tune is a romantic ballad, highlighting lyrical melodies and Ellington’s sophisticated orchestral harmonies.

The first recording was by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra in New York, featuring piano, trumpet, and reed sections prominently. Later recordings by small groups and vocalists have preserved its appeal as a jazz standard.

Musically, it employs a 32-bar AABA form with expressive phrasing and harmonic richness, leaving space for both instrumental and vocal improvisation.