“Beautiful Love” was composed by Victor Young, Wayne King and Egbert Van Alstyne, with lyrics by Haven Gillespie, in 1931. It became a jazz favorite thanks to its moody minor harmony, and Bill Evans recorded memorable versions that cemented its place in the repertoire.
The tune is usually played in D minor, in a 32-bar form. It opens with a minor ii-V-i (Eø, A7, Dm), then moves through ii-V progressions to the relative major (F) and other nearby keys before returning to D minor. The minor ii-V is the core of the tune, appearing repeatedly.
For improvisation, practice minor ii-V-i language in D minor. Use D harmonic minor over Eø and A7, and D Dorian or melodic minor over the D minor chord. When the tune moves to F major, switch to the major scale. Bill Evans’s versions are full of beautiful voicings and lyrical lines to study.
Practice by playing minor ii-V-i licks in D minor, then in other keys. Learn the melody by singing it. Medium swing is the most common tempo.
Arrangement idea: start with a two-bar minor vamp on the opening ii-V, then bring in the melody. Some trios play the head with a Latin feel and the solos in swing, which highlights the tune’s dark, dramatic quality. End with the minor ii-V vamp, slowing down on the final chord.
Getting the most from the Beautiful Love Lead Sheet PDF: start by reading the chord symbols without your instrument and humming the roots. Then circle any chord you can’t yet voice or arpeggiate, and make those your warm-up for the week before you play the whole form.
Is it hard to play? It’s intermediate and a great tune for learning minor ii-Vs. Recordings to study: Bill Evans’s trio recordings. Learn more about one of the composers on Victor Young’s Wikipedia page, and find more minor-key standards on Minedit.