I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TIME IT WAS - Free Jazz Leadsheet

Composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart in 1939, "i didn't know what time it was" expresses the intoxicating disorientation of new love. Its lyrics reflect the absorbing nature of romantic involvement.

The first recording, by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra with vocalist Helen Forrest in New York, 1939, featured swinging arrangements and elegant melodic lines. Its structure provides ample space for instrumental improvisation.

Subsequent interpretations by jazz vocalists and instrumentalists highlighted the song’s fluid melody and harmonic sophistication, making it a standard for both big bands and small ensembles.