Jerome Kern, music · Oscar Hammerstein II, lyrics · Introduced by Jules Bledsoe in the 1927 musical Show Boat
Ol' Man River
Kern and Hammerstein wrote it for the 1927 musical Show Boat, sung by a Black dockworker named Joe. Its tune and are simple, and players treat it as a slow anthem or a fast jam number. Paul Robeson, Frank Sinatra, Erroll Garner, Dave Brubeck and Jimmy Smith recorded it.
Listen in this order
The path starts with the 1928 record Paul Robeson made with Paul Whiteman's orchestra, then follows the song into jazz with Horace Henderson's 1933 band. It continues through a piano trio, a quartet, a quintet, an organ record with a big band, Frank Sinatra with an orchestra, and a 1980 version with strings.
1920sPaul Whiteman and His Concert Orchestra, with Paul Robeson1928
1930sHorace Henderson1933
1940s
1950sErroll Garner Trio1956 · Swing
The Dave Brubeck Quartet1959 · Cool jazz
1960sKenny Dorham Quintet1960 · Bebop
Jimmy Smith with Oliver Nelson's orchestra1962
Frank Sinatra1963 · Swing
1970s
1980sArt Pepper1980 · Post-bop
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Hear the song as the stage show sang it
Paul Whiteman and His Concert Orchestra, with Paul Robeson · 1928
Single
Paul Whiteman's orchestra recorded the song twice in 1928. The second record, made on March 1 at Liederkranz Hall in New York, has Paul Robeson singing with a and the concert orchestra.
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Listen for
Paul Robeson's deep voice carries the song, with a mixed and a full orchestra behind him. Whiteman's first 1928 record was an up-tempo fox trot with Bing Crosby; this one is his concert version.
Try it on your instrument
Play the first eight (the ) with the melody and these : , Fm7, E♭maj7 Fm7, E♭maj7 Gm7 , Fm7 , Fm7 B♭7, C7, Fm7 B♭7. Smaller version: play the melody alone with a single E♭ chord held under the first four bars.
Horace Henderson led musicians from his brother Fletcher's orchestra in a Chicago session on October 3, 1933. According to JazzStandards.com, this record renewed interest in the song and jazz players made it a favorite jam number for a few years.
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A jazz band plays the song, with Henry 'Red' Allen on vocal and trumpet and Coleman Hawkins on tenor saxophone. After the stage and concert versions, this is the first one led by a jazz band.
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Play the same as on the first step, but swing the eighth notes. Smaller version: swing only the last four bars, , Fm7 B♭7, , Fm7 B♭7.
Erroll Garner recorded it with his trio in New York on June 7, 1956. Columbia issued it in 1957 on the album The Most Happy Piano.
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Erroll Garner's piano leads, with Al Hall on bass and Specs Powell on drums. At 5:58 the track is one of the longest on the path, which gives the trio room to stretch the song out.
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Play the with the melody in your right hand and each as a block in your left, changing where the chords change. Smaller version: play only a single bass note under each and the melody on top.
Dave Brubeck's quartet recorded it in Los Angeles on April 23, 1959, for the album Gone with the Wind. The album is a set of American songs that also includes Camptown Races and Georgia on My Mind.
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Paul Desmond's alto saxophone and Dave Brubeck's piano lead, with Gene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums. At 2:29 this is the shortest version on the path.
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Play the , 17 to 24: for seven bars, then Gm7 . This is the one place the tune leaves E♭ for , so listen for the sound turning darker and then coming home. Smaller version: play just Gm7 and D7♭9 as a pair, over and over, while you hum the melody.
Kenny Dorham's quintet recorded a whole album of songs from Show Boat in New York on December 9, 1960. Time Records issued it at the end of January 1961.
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Listen for
Kenny Dorham's trumpet and Jimmy Heath's tenor saxophone take the lead, with piano, bass and drums behind them. Every song on this album comes from the same stage show as this one.
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Play the last , 25 to 32: , , Gm7 Fm7, , E♭maj7 , Fm7 , E♭6, Fm7 B♭7. Smaller version: play only the first four bars twice.
Jimmy Smith recorded it at Rudy Van Gelder's New Jersey studio on March 28, 1962, with a big band arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson. Verve issued it on a single paired with Bashin' and on the album Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith.
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Listen for
Jimmy Smith's organ plays against a full band of trumpets, trombones and saxophones, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson.
Try it on your instrument
Play the two endings of the . The first time through, 7 and 8 are and , which lead back to the top. The second time they are E♭6 and E♭6 , and the D7♭9 sets up the . Smaller version: play only the final D7♭9 into and listen to it pull toward G minor.
Frank Sinatra recorded it in February 1963 for The Concert Sinatra, an album of show tunes in a semi-classical concert style with Nelson Riddle's orchestra. According to JazzStandards.com, Will Friedwald credits Sinatra with reclaiming the song as serious music.
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Listen for
Frank Sinatra sings with a large orchestra arranged by Nelson Riddle, in a concert style rather than a dance-band one. After the instrumental versions, listen for how the words and the voice carry the song.
Try it on your instrument
Sing or hum the melody while you play the of the final A, 25 to 32: , , Gm7 Fm7, , E♭maj7 , Fm7 , E♭6, Fm7 B♭7. Smaller version: play only E♭ and B♭7 under your singing.
Art Pepper recorded it for his album Winter Moon at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley on September 3 and 4, 1980. He is joined by a and a string section.
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Listen for
Art Pepper, credited on alto saxophone and clarinet for the session, plays with a of piano, guitar, bass and drums, and a string section behind them. At 6:15 it is the longest track on the path.
Try it on your instrument
Play all 32 as A, A, B, A with every held for its full beat count, as slowly as feels comfortable. Smaller version: play only the twice, then stop.
Kern and Hammerstein write it for Show Boat, which opens in December 1927 with Jules Bledsoe singing it. In 1928 Paul Whiteman's orchestra records it twice, and Paul Robeson sings the second version.
1930s
Horace Henderson takes players from his brother Fletcher's orchestra into a Chicago session in October 1933, with Henry 'Red' Allen on trumpet and vocal. JazzStandards.com says the record renewed interest in the song.
1950s
Erroll Garner's trio records it in New York in 1956, in a version close to six minutes long. Dave Brubeck's quartet follows in April 1959 with a 2:29 take for the album Gone with the Wind.
1960s
Kenny Dorham records a whole album of Show Boat songs in December 1960. In 1962 Jimmy Smith plays it on organ with a big band arranged by Oliver Nelson, and in 1963 Frank Sinatra sings it with a large orchestra.
1980s
Art Pepper records it in September 1980 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley for the album Winter Moon, with a string section behind his quintet.
2020s
The piano trio of Henrik Gunde, Jesper Bodilsen and Morten Lund releases a 5:42 version on the album Moods, Vol. 2 in July 2023.
More great versions
2 more, from 1964 to 2023. Tap a cover to play it here.
1960sAlbert Ayler Quartet1964
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020sHenrik Gunde, Jesper Bodilsen and Morten Lund2023
Albert Ayler Quartet
1964
Goin' Home
Albert Ayler recorded two takes of the song at Atlantic Studios in New York on February 24, 1964, with Call Cobbs on piano, Henry Grimes on bass and Sonny Murray on drums.
The tune's layout, its keys and the chord chart, for anyone who wants to play along.
Show the form and chords
How the tune works
E♭ majorusual key
32 barsA · A · B · A form
E♭ major → G minor → E♭ majorkey centers
A8 bars
A8 bars
B8 bars
A8 bars
E♭
G m
E♭
The , 1 to 8, is , Fm7, E♭maj7 Fm7, E♭maj7 Gm7 , Fm7 , Fm7 B♭7, then C7 and Fm7 B♭7 the first time through or E♭6 and E♭6 the second time. The second ending leads into the . The , bars 17 to 24, moves to : Gm7 D7♭9 for seven bars, then Gm7 C7 Fm7 B♭7, which turns back toward E♭. The last A, bars 25 to 32, is E♭maj7 Fm7, Gm7 A♭maj7, Gm7 Fm7, E♭6 , E♭maj7 , Fm7 B♭7, E♭6, Fm7 B♭7. These follow the iReal Pro chart; other lead sheets may spell some differently.