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“Loosely based on the chords of
‘After You've Gone,’ Art Pepper’s
signature tune ‘Straight Life’
is the title he would eventually use
for his autobiography.” |
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- JW
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Creamer
and Layton’s “After You’ve Gone,”
joins “St.
Louis Blues” (1914) and “Indiana”
(1917) as the top three pre-1920s
jazz standards. Few compositions
of the early 20th century
endured the transition to the smooth
swing sound of the 1930s and beyond.
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Al Jolson introduced “After
You’ve Gone” to the vaudeville audience
at the Wintergarden Theater in 1918.
Within a year several other artists
had recorded the song, but it was
Marion Harris’s rendition that
became the most popular, rising
to number one for three weeks in
1919.
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“After You’ve Gone” appeared
on the charts:
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Henry Burr and Albert Campbell
(1918, #2)
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Marion Harris (1919, with
Rosario Bourdon’s Orchestra,
#1)
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Billy Murray and “Rachel Grant”
(Gladys Rice) (1919, #9)
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Bessie Smith (1927, Fletcher
Henderson, piano, #7)
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Sophie Tucker (1927, with Miff
Mole’s Molers, #10)
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Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra
(1930,
Bing Crosby, vocal, #14)
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Louis Armstrong (1932, #15)
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Benny Goodman Trio (1935,
instrumental, #20)
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Lionel Hampton (1937, Lionel
Hampton, vocal, #6)
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Quintet of the Hot Club of France
(1937, instrumental featuring
Django Reinhardt and Stephane
Grappelli, #20)
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Written with a verse and a remarkably short
20-bar chorus, “After You’ve Gone” is typically
diagrammed with an A(4)-B(4)-A(4)-C(4) form,
which leaves the last four bars as an extension.
In terms of the lyrics, the verse sets the stage
for the refrain questioning,
“How could you tell me that
you’re goin’ away?”
closing with,
“Oh! honey baby, can’t you
see my tears? Listen while I say:”
While not in the traditional blues form, the
refrain for “After You’ve Gone” has a “call-response”
blues feeling. Each A section has two, 2-bar “call”
phrases
After you’ve gone and left
me cryin’
After you’ve gone there’s no denyin’
followed by a 4-bar “response” phrase
You’ll feel blue, you’ll feel
sad
You’ll miss the dearest pal you’ve ever had
- JW
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Musical analysis of
“After You've Gone”
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| Original
Key |
Bb major |
| Form |
A1 – A2 w/four
measure extension; alternatively,
A1 – B – A1 – C – A2 if broken down into
4 –measure phrases |
| Tonality |
Primarily
major |
| Movement |
A rising
pentatonic figure, repeated a fourth lower,
followed by two leaps (a fifth and a fourth)
and a brief neighbor-note figure. This
alternates with an upward jump, later
descending from the highest note with leaps
and chromatic embellishing tones. |
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Comments
(assumed
background)
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A combination of a fairly busy melody with
a slow-moving harmonic rhythm (which picks
up briefly in mm.7-8 and 15-16). The initial
chord progression is similar to the opening
measures of “Just
Friends” and “I’ll
See You In My Dreams” (IV – iv – I),
but after the I chord, it drops to VI7 for
the circle of fifths before returning to
the tonic. Toward the end, the resolution
of this progression is delayed by turning
the II7 into a minor ii7, going to iv before
returning to I. The I (in measure 17) is
followed by III7, resolving to vi, but then
returns to I by route of a common-tone diminished
chord, ending with an unequivocal I – V7
–I. |
K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Check out K. J. McElrath's book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com). |
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“After You've Gone”
was included in these films:
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For Me And My Gal
(1942, Judy Garland)
- Jolson Sings Again (1949,
Larry Parks dubbed by Al Jolson)
- Some Came Running (1958, Shirley
MacLaine)
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Click on a CD for more details
at Amazon.com
Dinah Washington
Sings Bessie Smith
1999, Polygram Records
Original recording, 1958
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| A supremely bluesy interpretation
by jazz singer Dinah Washington. When she
threatens with “You’ll miss the dearest
pal you ever had,” you can’t help but believe
it. |
Wynton Marsalis
Standard Time Vol. 5
1998, Columbia 68921
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| Backed by strings on this track,
Marsalis’ lyrical trumpet is hauntingly
beautiful. He once again proves what a tactician
he is without losing an ounce of emotion. |
Sonny Criss
Complete Imperial Sessions
2000, Blue Note 24564
Original recording, 1956
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| The pace is dizzying as alto saxophonist
Sonny Criss chews up the scenery on this
bebop version of the song. |
Mark Elf
A Minor Scramble
1997, Jen Bay Jazz #3
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| Guitarist Elf is featured here in
a variety of settings with several fine
jazz musicians. The clarity of his playing
is showcased on “After You’ve Gone” against
the backdrop provided by Peter Washington
(b) and Louis Nash (d). |
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This tune’s original concept
was as a ballad, but it can also be played uptempo.
Johnny Dodds, the New Orleans blues master of the
clarinet, recorded a slow version in 1927. Earlier
that year, a studio band of all-stars led by Red
Nichols, the Charleston Chasers, recorded an uptempo
version that features a very advanced alto saxophone
solo by Jimmy Dorsey (he was a favorite of Charlie
Parker) and abounds with breaks (the tune has a
two-bar break in the middle and can have a similar
break at the end). Seventeen years later, another
all-star group led by pianist James P. Johnson (including
clarinetist Edmond Hall, trumpeter Sidney DeParis,
tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and drummer Sid Catlett),
waxed a version that’s considered a swing classic.
Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian
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| This section shows the jazz standards
written by the same writing team. Click on a name
to see all of a writer's jazz standards.
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Additional information on “After You've Gone” may be found in:
1 page including the following types of information: music analysis.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: history and performers.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: Broadway productions, film productions, history and performers.
Includes the following types of information: song lyrics.
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