Harry Barris, music · Ted Koehler and Billy Moll, lyrics · Introduced by Bing Crosby, 1931
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
Harry Barris wrote it in 1931, and Bing Crosby's record became his first solo hit. Its melody spans just an octave, which makes it easy to sing. You can hear it from Louis Armstrong in 1931 to Keith Jarrett's trio in 1999.
Listen in this order
The path starts with Bing Crosby's and Louis Armstrong's 1931 records, then moves through an Erskine Hawkins big-band hit, a Stan Getz quartet and Dizzy Gillespie in Paris. It ends with Hampton Hawes's nine-minute 1958 track, Bill Evans's 1962 quintet and Keith Jarrett's trio live in 1999.
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)”, Victor 78 rpm single
Bing Crosby recorded it in Hollywood on March 2, 1931, for Victor. According to JazzStandards.com, it was the first of his solo records to reach the charts, at number four.
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Listen for
Listen for Crosby's easy, relaxed singing with a dance band behind him. The record runs just over three minutes.
Try it on your instrument
Play the first four of the as , two chords per bar: , , , . Smaller version: play only the single notes C, E, D and A, one per bar.
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)”, OKeh 78 rpm single
Louis Armstrong recorded it in Chicago on November 4, 1931, for OKeh, on the same day as his 'Stardust'. According to JazzStandards.com, it was one of eight sides from a four-day run of sessions that month.
swing
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Listen for
Listen for Armstrong's muted trumpet , then his singing, then the whole band playing the last chorus. The record runs a little over three and a half minutes.
Try it on your instrument
Play the first four of the as , two chords per bar: , , , then . Smaller version: play only the first chord of each bar.
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)”, Bluebird 78 rpm single
Erskine Hawkins' orchestra recorded it in New York on December 22, 1941, for Bluebird, with a vocal by saxophonist Jimmy Mitchell. According to JazzStandards.com, it reached number 23 on the charts in 1942.
swing
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Listen for
Listen for Jimmy Mitchell's vocal over the slow, swinging pace of the full band. The record runs just over three minutes.
Try it on your instrument
Play 5 to 8 of the , two per bar: , , , G7. Smaller version: play only the first chord of each bar, F, C, D and C.
Stan Getz recorded it in New York on April 14, 1950, with Tony Aless, Percy Heath and Don Lamond. Prestige first issued it that year on a 78 rpm single with 'Battleground'.
swing
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Listen for
Listen for Getz's tenor saxophone playing the tune and then a solo, at a relaxed, swinging pace, with only piano, bass and drums behind him. The record runs three minutes.
Try it on your instrument
Play all eight of the as , two per bar, ending on the first ending, . Smaller version: play only the first four bars, then repeat them.
Dizzy Gillespie recorded it in Paris on April 11, 1952, with a seven-piece band that includes the tenor saxophonist Don Byas. Vogue issued it that year on a 78 rpm single, and Blue Note issued it in the United States in 1953.
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Listen for
Listen for Gillespie's trumpet and Don Byas's tenor saxophone in a band of seven. The record runs under three minutes.
Try it on your instrument
Play the whole , 17 to 24: , , , , then the same again with Cmaj7 G7 as the last bar. Smaller version: play only the first four bars of the bridge.
Hampton Hawes recorded it in Los Angeles on March 17, 1958, with Harold Land, Scott LaFaro and Frank Butler. Contemporary did not release it until 1961, on For Real!
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Listen for
Listen for Hawes's piano and Harold Land's tenor saxophone, with Scott LaFaro's bass playing an active part underneath. The track runs over nine minutes.
Try it on your instrument
Play the 32 of once through at a slow tempo: A, A, , A. Smaller version: play the first on its own.
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)”, Interplay
Bill Evans led this quintet at Nola Penthouse Sound Studios in New York on July 16 and 17, 1962, with Freddie Hubbard, Jim Hall, Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones. Riverside issued the album Interplay in 1963.
swing
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Listen for
Listen for the solos from Freddie Hubbard's trumpet, Jim Hall's guitar and Evans's piano over a steady swing. The track runs just over six minutes.
Try it on your instrument
Play the last two of the , and G7, and land on Cmaj7 to start the next . Smaller version: play only the single notes D, G, C and G, one per .
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away) (Live)”, Whisper Not
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette played it at the Palais des Congrès in Paris on July 5, 1999. ECM released it on Whisper Not in 2000.
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Listen for
Listen for the steady push of Peacock's bass and DeJohnette's drums under Jarrett's piano. This is a live recording and runs just under six minutes.
Try it on your instrument
Play the root of each for two beats each through all eight of the : C F, E A, D E, A C, F F♯, C A, D G, C G. Smaller version: play only the first root of each bar.
Harry Barris writes it in 1931. Bing Crosby's record reaches the charts, and Louis Armstrong records it in Chicago that November.
1940s
Erskine Hawkins' orchestra records it with a vocal by Jimmy Mitchell in 1941, and it reaches the charts in 1942. Don Byas records it with Erroll Garner in 1945.
1950s
Stan Getz records it with a quartet in 1950, and Frank Sinatra sings it on Swing Easy! in 1954. Hampton Hawes's quartet plays it for over nine minutes in 1958.
1960s
Bill Evans's quintet records it for Riverside in 1962. Tony Bennett sings it for Columbia in 1964.
1970s
Zoot Sims plays it on soprano saxophone for the Pablo label in 1976, with Ray Bryant on piano.
1990s
Keith Jarrett's trio plays it live in Paris in July 1999, and ECM releases it on Whisper Not the next year.
More great versions
6 more, from 1945 to 1976. Tap a cover to play it here.
Roy Eldridge recorded it in Paris on June 9, 1950, with Zoot Sims on tenor saxophone and Dick Hyman on piano. Vogue issued it that year on a 78 rpm single.
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)”, Swing Easy!
Frank Sinatra recorded it in April 1954 at Capitol's Hollywood studio, with Nelson Riddle arranging and conducting. Capitol released it that August on the 10-inch album Swing Easy!
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)”, Have Trumpet, Will Excite!
Dizzy Gillespie recorded it in New York on February 20, 1959, with a sextet that includes Junior Mance on piano and Les Spann on guitar. Verve issued it that year on Have Trumpet, Will Excite!
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)”, Who Can I Turn To
Tony Bennett recorded it in New York on September 29, 1964, with the Ralph Sharon Trio and an arrangement by George Siravo. Columbia released it that November on Who Can I Turn To.
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)”, Soprano Sax
Zoot Sims played soprano saxophone on this session at RCA Studios in New York on January 8 and 9, 1976, with Ray Bryant, George Mraz and Grady Tate. Pablo issued it on the album Soprano Sax.
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
C majorusual key
32 barsA · A · B · A form
C majorkey centers
A8 bars
A8 bars
B8 bars · bridge
A8 bars
C
Thirty-two in four sections of eight, , all in C. Each opens with , , and , one pair per bar. Bars 5 to 8 play , A7, and Cmaj7 G7. The first time through, that last bar leads back into the repeated A; the chart's second ending is a single Cmaj7 that leads on to the . The bridge, bars 17 to 24, runs , E7 A7, D7 G7 and Cmaj7, then does the same again with Cmaj7 G7 as its last bar to lead back to the final A. The final A repeats the first. According to JazzStandards.com, the original is . These follow the iReal Pro chart; other lead sheets may spell some chords differently.