"If You Could See Me Now" is a 1946 jazz standard, composed by Tadd Dameron.[1] He wrote it especially for vocalist Sarah Vaughan,[2] a frequent collaborator. Lyrics were written by Carl Sigman and it became one of Vaughan's signature songs, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.[3] Dameron himself included a version, sung by Barbara Winfield, on his 1962 album The Magic Touch.[3]
Notable recordings
edit- Sarah Vaughan's 1946 original recording was released through Musicraft Records. It also appeared on her 1981 album Send in the Clowns with the Count Basie Orchestra.
- Randy Weston recorded the composition in 1956/57 for his album Trio and Solo
- Gil Evans recorded a version for his 1957 album Gil Evans & Ten
- Chet Baker recorded it for his 1959 album Chet.
- Yusef Lateef recorded it on his 1959 album Cry! - Tender
- Bobby Timmons from his album Easy Does It (1961)
- Milt Jackson recorded it on his 1962 Big Bags album
- Bill Evans recorded his version of the song for his 1962 album Moon Beams and also on his Trio '65 album
- Sheila Jordan recorded it on her 1963 debut album Portrait of Sheila
- Junior Cook recorded it on the 1963 Roy Brooks album Beat
- Red Garland recorded a quintet version that appeared on his Soul Burnin' album, released in 1964
- Wynton Kelly recorded a trio version that appeared on his 1965 album Undiluted
- Wes Montgomery on the live album Smokin' at the Half Note (1965)
- Dexter Gordon recorded it on his 1970 album The Jumpin' Blues
- Kenny Drew recorded a version on his 1974 album If You Could See Me Now
- Barry Harris recorded it on his 1975 Barry Harris Plays Tadd Dameron album
- Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on Life (1976)
- Oscar Peterson – The Oscar Peterson Four with Joe Pass recorded it in 1983 on the album If You Could See Me Now
- Etta Jones recorded the song for her 1978 album If You Could See Me Now
- John Abercrombie and John Scofield included the song in their 1984 album Solar.
- Jaco Pastorius covered the song in 1985 during a televised concert in Belgium.[4]
- Jacky Terrasson and Tom Harrell included the song in their 1991 Moon and Sand album.[5]
- Mel Tormé recorded a notable version in 1995 with Canadian trombonist and bandleader Rob McConnell.[3]
- Buddy DeFranco from his 1992 album Chip off the Old Bop and 1997 Dave McKenna album You Must Believe in Swing
- Joe Lovano included it in his 2000 album 52nd Street Themes.
- Eliane Elias included the song in her 2010 album Eliane Elias Plays Live.
References
edit- ^ Giddins, Gary (May 18, 2000). Visions of Jazz: The First Century. Oxford University Press. p. 308. ISBN 978-0-19-513241-0. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
- ^ Gioia, Ted (May 9, 2011). The History of Jazz. Oxford University Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-19-539970-7. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
- ^ a b c "If You Could See Me Now". Jazz Standards.com. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
- ^ "Jaco Pastorius - If You Could See Me Now". YouTube. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
- ^ "Moon & Sand - Jacky Terrasson | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2020.