What Is This Thing
Called Love
(by Cole Porter)

what is this thing called love jazz guitar

What Is This Thing Called Love PDF (Chord Melody and Lead Sheet)

What is This Thing Called Love was composed in 1929 for the musical Wake Up and Dream. It has been recorded, arranged and re-harmonized by most jazz musicians since the early 30's ... some even went as far as composing a new melody on top of it (see Tadd Dameron's Hot House for a good example.)

I most often hear it as a straight-ahead up-tempo swing at jam sessions everywhere. The comfortable 32-bar form offers improviser an simple yet challenging harmonic setting for soloing.

Recently, I heard a trombone player call this tune at a jam a session as an up-tempo... with the entire A sections over an "C" bass pedal and the B section with walking bass. It gave the tune a modal flavor and it felt great; try it.

Play that tune "straight ahead" and then experiment to find out what arrangement / re-harmonization ideas work for you.

Suggested listening:

Here again, too many good recordings of that tune exist !!!

I will make a "out of the box" suggestion with the album At The Garden Party. It's a bass-guitar duo album with Ed Bickert and Don Thompson : it's played fast, swinging but it still is smooth and interesting.

(Listen to the whole album, it's worth it!)

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