TANGERINE - Free Jazz Leadsheet

"Tangerine" was written by Victor Schertzinger with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and published in 1941. The first major recording was made on April 19, 1942, by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra in New York, featuring Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly, a version that became a major chart success during the wartime era.

Subsequent notable versions include recordings by the Stan Kenton Orchestra and numerous vocalists attracted to the song’s warm, Latin-tinged feel. The lyrics describe an irresistible, idealized woman, while the music follows a lyrical 32-bar form with smooth, swaying rhythms. Its gentle chromatic motion and polished melodic writing have allowed it to remain a staple in jazz and pop standard repertoires.