“Alone Together” was composed by Arthur Schwartz with lyrics by Howard Dietz for the 1932 Broadway revue Flying Colors. Its dark, minor melody and unusual form make it a favorite of jazz musicians looking for something more sophisticated than the standard 32-bar song. Chet Baker, Kenny Dorham and Sonny Rollins all recorded memorable versions.
The tune is usually played in D minor. Its form is longer than most standards: the A sections are 14 bars each, the bridge is 8 bars, and the last A is 12 bars, for 44 bars total in many versions. The A sections open with Dm, then a minor ii-V-i (Eø, A7, Dm), followed by more ii-Vs that move into F major and other nearby keys. The bridge brings dramatic movement through ii-Vs, often climbing to a climax before returning to D minor.
For improvisation, minor ii-V-i language is essential. Use D harmonic minor over Eø and A7, and D melodic minor or Dorian over the D minor chords. When the tune moves toward F major, switch accordingly. Because the form is unusual, mark the section lengths on your lead sheet and count carefully. The melody is gorgeous and dramatic, so quoting it in your solo works well.
Practice the form with a play-along until you can feel the 14-bar sections without counting. Learn the melody by singing it. Then improvise using only chord tones, then add scale passages and chromatic approach notes.
Common mistake: treating it like a 32-bar tune and coming back to the top too early. Know the form cold.
Transposing tip: Bb instrument players read it in E minor and Eb players in B minor, so check that your lead sheet PDF is in the right key before the gig.
Recordings to study: Kenny Dorham’s version on Quiet Kenny, Chet Baker’s lyrical takes, and Sonny Rollins’s interpretations. Learn more about the composer on Arthur Schwartz’s Wikipedia page, and find more minor-key standards on Minedit.