WHEN THE RED RED ROBIN - Free Jazz Leadsheet

“when the red red robin (cometh in the rain)” is a song written by Harry M. Woods and published in 1926. It became a hit in popular music and was later adapted into jazz contexts.

The earliest recordings were by popular singers of the 1920s; later, jazz and swing bands picked up the tune, and it has been revived by vocalists and instrumentalists over the decades. Its cheerful melody and rhythmic bounce made it well suited to big-band arrangements.

The lyrics celebrate optimism and renewal, using the robin as a symbol of hope and brighter days. Musically, it features a buoyant, syncopated melody and a structure that lends itself to swing and improvisation.