“Nobody Else but Me” was the last song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, written for the 1946 revival of Show Boat. Stan Getz recorded a beautiful jazz version, and it’s a favorite of musicians who enjoy lesser-known standards.
The tune moves through ii-V progressions and secondary dominants with a bright, swinging feel. The form is 32 bars.
Section by section: in the A sections, outline the ii-Vs with guide tones and bebop lines. In the B section, highlight the secondary dominants with their leading tones. In the final section, build toward the turnaround. Stan Getz’s version shows lyrical, swinging tenor playing.
Practice at medium swing. Learn the melody from Getz’s recording.
Transposing tip: horn players should get a lead sheet in their key.
Arrangement idea: play the head at a relaxed medium swing, feature tenor saxophone on the melody in Stan Getz’s style, and end with a short tag on the final phrase. This lesser-known Kern tune is a nice surprise at jam sessions, so bring a lead sheet in a few keys to share with the band.
Ear training with the Nobody Else but Me Lead Sheet PDF: before reading along, listen to two different recordings and try to hear where each section starts. Then follow the lead sheet while listening. Connecting what you see to what you hear is how lead sheets turn into tunes you truly know.
How to use this Nobody Else but Me Lead Sheet PDF: print it or keep it on a tablet, mark the form sections and key centers in pencil, and write the guide tones you want to target above the tricky bars. Revisit those notes after each practice session so the tune gets easier every week.
Is it hard to play? It’s intermediate. Recordings to study: Stan Getz’s recording. Learn more about the composer on Jerome Kern’s Wikipedia page, and find more standards on Minedit.