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“The magnificent
Mr. Bey rephrases ‘Just Friends,’
taking it mid-tempo with bassist
Ron Carter, drummer Victor Lewis,
and a string quartet.” |
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- Sandra Burlingame
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This
standard is a poignant ballad about
two lovers who have drifted apart
and are now “Just Friends.” Red
McKenzie and His Orchestra introduced
“Just Friends” in October of 1931
with “Time
on My Hands” on the flip side.
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However, it was not McKenzie’s
cover that put “Just Friends” on
the charts. In February of 1932,
Russ Columbo, one of the most popular
singers of the era, performing with
Leonard Joy’s Orchestra, took the
song to the charts for three weeks
where it peaked at number fourteen.
In April of the same year, Ben Selvin
and His Orchestra put “Just Friends”
on the charts for two weeks, also
climbing to number fourteen. Selvin
was a violinist who made more recordings
than any other bandleader.
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“Just Friends” is the most often
recorded song written by Klenner
and Lewis, a team who seems to have
shared a common interest in words.
Sam M. Lewis wrote the lyrics to
“Street
of Dreams” (1931) and John Klenner
wrote the lyrics to “Down the River
of Golden Dreams” (1930) and “On
the Street of Regret” (1942).
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Musical analysis of
“Just Friends”
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| Original
Key |
G major |
| Form |
A – B1 –
A – B2 |
| Tonality |
Primarily
major |
| Movement |
Downward
fifths, fourths, and thirds with embellishing
tones. Upward movement is mainly by step.
Long, sustained pitches. |
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Comments
(assumed
background)
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What was originally a ballad is usually
played uptempo today because of slow melodic
and harmonic rhythm (only two measures contain
more than one chord change, and most of
the piece is one chord change every two
measures). Harmonic progression starts out
with IV – iv – I, similar to “After
You’ve Gone,” but then proceeds to a
ct˚7 (following descending bass line from
the fourth scale degree), and then to a
ii7 – V7 deceptively resolved to iii – vi.
It settles here in the relative minor briefly
before returning to II7(V7/V) – V7.
Again, there is a deceptive resolution
going into the second “A,” for the V7 goes
to IV (some use a chromatic passing chord
here). The slow, sustained nature of this
piece has led jazz players to add embellishing
chords and substitutions over the years.
One example is the addition of a bVII chord
following IV in measure 4 of sections “A”.
Nowadays, the leading-tone diminished seventh
chord in mm 7-8 of “A” is replaced with
a biii and bVII (in the original, Cm7 –
F7 instead of Bb˚7).
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K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Check out K. J. McElrath's book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com). |
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“Just Friends”
was included in these films:
And on the small screen:
- Ramona (2003, miniseries,
Chet Baker).
*“Just Friends” was the title
song for the 1993 Belgian movie of the same name.
Produced by Marc-Henri Wajnberg, the film won a
dozen awards, including the Belgian entry for the
Best Foreign Language Film at the 1994 Academy Awards.
Just Friends is about a young Antwerp saxophonist
who is trying to earn enough money to go to New
York to perform with and meet his American jazz
idols. Michel Herr, one of Belgium’s leading jazz
musicians, composed the soundtrack. |
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Click on a CD for more details
at Amazon.com
Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master
Takes
1995, Polygram 523984
Original recording, 1950
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| Charlie Parker fulfilled his wish
to play with strings and included a stellar
version of “Just Friends” among his song
selections. |
Marian McPartland
Just Friends
1998, Concord 4805
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| In the spirit of her radio show,
“Piano Jazz,” McPartland invites some of
her pianist friends—Tommy Flanagan, George
Shearing, Geri Allen, Dave Brubeck, and
Gene Harris--to join her in some duo piano
outings. Shearing joins her on “Just Friends.” |
Andy Bey
Tuesdays in Chinatown
2001, Encoded Music
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| The magnificent Mr. Bey rephrases
“Just Friends,” taking it mid-tempo with
bassist Ron Carter, drummer Victor Lewis,
and a string quartet. A stunning version.
No wonder the Jazz Journalists Association
voted him Jazz Vocalist of the Year in 2003. |
George Cables
Cables Fables
1995, Steeplechase
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| Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny
Washington (drums), who are now pianist
Bill Charlap’s frequent rhythm section,
aid and abet pianist Cables’ up-tempo take
on “Just Friends.” The CD also includes
Cables’ beautiful composition, “Helen’s
Song.” |
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No doubt the jazz world owes Charlie Parker a
great debt for bringing this tune into the jazz
oeuvre after years of being treated as a sentimental
ballad.
Several early West Coast cool jazz players latched
on to the tune in the mid-1950s. Chet Baker’s swinging
vocal version from 1955 is a classic, while an album
from 1957 features the great but underrated tenor
saxophonist Richie Kamuca and pianist Carl Perkins
(who recorded a solo version in 1956, and sadly
died at the age of 30). Kamuca’s up-tempo version
is an interesting departure from the versions by
Parker and Baker.
Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian
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| This section shows the jazz standards
written by the same writing team. Click on a name
to see all of a writer's jazz standards.
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Additional information on “Just Friends” may be found in:
2 paragraphs including the following types of information: music analysis.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: history and performers.
Includes the following types of information: song lyrics.
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