Fred E. Ahlert, music · Roy Turk, lyrics · Published in 1929
Mean to Me is a 1929 song by Fred E. Ahlert and Roy Turk, usually played in . Its thirty-two use the same eight-bar three times, and each A section is full of that fall into place one after another. You will hear it from Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Barney Kessel, Paul Desmond, Ella Fitzgerald and Milt Jackson.
The path starts with Annette Hanshaw's 1929 record and Billie Holiday's 1937 record with Lester Young, then adds Frank Sinatra's 1947 vocal and a 1955 sextet led by Young and Harry Edison. It goes on to Barney Kessel's guitar trio, Paul Desmond's quartet, Ella Fitzgerald with Oscar Peterson, and a live 1977 sextet led by Milt Jackson and Ray Brown.
8 recordings, 1929 to 1977 · Play all 8 on YouTube ↗
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Annette Hanshaw · 1929
Annette Hanshaw, Vol. 6: 1929
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Play the first from the chart, one change at a time: , , Fmaj7 , , , Gm7 C7, , C7.
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Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra with Billie Holiday · 1937
“Mean to Me (Take 1)”, Brunswick 78 rpm single
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Play 3 and 4 of the slowly: , then . Hear how Cm7 and F7 lead to B♭maj7.
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Frank Sinatra · 1947
“Mean to Me (alternate take)”, The Columbia Years
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Play the first four of the slowly: , , , then . Hear how Cm7 and F7 lead to B♭6.
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Lester Young - Harry Edison Sextet · 1955 · Swing, Cool jazz
Pres and Sweets
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Play 5 to 8 of the slowly with roots in the left hand: , , , C7. If you can solo over changes, play one short phrase over each bar. If not, play one chord tone per chord.
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Barney Kessel with Shelly Manne and Ray Brown · 1957 · Hard bop
The Poll Winners
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Play the last of the first two back to back. The first ends on and leads into the second A. The second ends on and leads into the in B♭.
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Paul Desmond · 1974 · Cool jazz
Pure Desmond
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Play the first two of the , and , then . The F♯°7 sits a half step below Gm7 and leads up to it.
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Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson · 1975 · Vocal
Ella and Oscar
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Play the as one per while you sing or hum the melody: , , Fmaj7, , , Gm7, , .
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Milt Jackson - Ray Brown Sextet · 1977 · Post-bop
Montreux '77
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Play 5 to 8 of the : , , , . The G7 and C7 lead back to F for the last .
1 more, from 1955 to 1955. Tap a cover to play it here.
1955
Manhattan Studio
Lennie Tristano recorded the song with Peter Ind on bass and Tom Weyburn on drums in his own New York studio. The track was first issued in 1996 on Manhattan Studio.
The tune's layout, its keys and the chord chart, for anyone who wants to play along.
The form runs thirty-two in four sections of eight, , and the is . Each opens with and in bar 1, then , then Fmaj7 , and bar 4 plays . Bars 5 to 8 play , Gm7 C7, and a . The first A ends on C7, which leads into the second A. The second A ends on F6 Cm7 F7, which leads into the . The bridge moves to . It opens with B♭maj7 Gm7, then Cm7 F7 into , and bar 4 plays E♭7 D7. The bridge continues with Gm7, E♭7 D7, G7 and C7, and the G7 and C7 lead back to F for the last A. The last A repeats the first A and ends on G7 C7. The follow the iReal Pro chart.
Chart from iReal Pro's Jazz 1460 playlist, contributed by its users.