“Darn That Dream” was composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Eddie DeLange for the 1939 Broadway show Swingin’ the Dream. Benny Goodman had a hit with it, and later versions by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Dexter Gordon made it a jazz ballad essential.
The form is a 32-bar AABA, commonly in G major. The harmony is rich and chromatic, with many ii-V progressions, secondary dominants and descending lines that create a dreamy, wistful mood. The bridge moves to other key areas before returning.
For improvisation, use guide tones to outline the many chord changes, since they move quickly even at ballad tempo. Paraphrasing the melody is a great approach. Dexter Gordon’s ballad playing is a perfect model: warm, patient and lyrical.
Practice at a slow tempo, learning the chord changes thoroughly. Pianists should study the voice leading, as the chords connect smoothly when voiced well.
Section by section: the A sections move through chromatic ii-V progressions; practice each one slowly. The bridge moves to new key areas; target the new third. The final A returns home with a turnaround.
Practice tip: learn Thelonious Monk’s solo piano version to hear unusual voicings of these changes.
Memorizing the Darn That Dream Lead Sheet PDF: learn the form in sections, not all at once. Play the first eight bars until you can do them with your eyes closed, then add the next section. Within a week or two you won’t need the page at all, which is the real goal of any lead sheet.
Ear training with the Darn That Dream 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.
Is it hard to play? It’s intermediate. Recordings to study: Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool version, Thelonious Monk’s solo piano take and Dexter Gordon’s ballad recordings. Learn more about the composer on Jimmy Van Heusen’s Wikipedia page, and find more jazz ballads on Minedit.