If You Could See Me Now (1946 song) explained

"If You Could See Me Now" is a 1946 jazz standard, composed by Tadd Dameron.^[1] He wrote it especially for vocalist Sarah Vaughan,^[2] a frequent collaborator. Lyrics were written by Carl Sigman and it became one of Vaughan's signature songs, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. Dameron himself included a version, sung by Barbara Winfield, on his 1962 album The Magic Touch.

Notable recordings

• Sarah Vaughan's 1946 original recording was released through Musicraft Records. It also appeared on her 1981 album Send in the Clowns with the Count Basie Orchestra.
• Randy Weston recorded the composition in 1956/57 for his album Trio and Solo
• Gil Evans recorded a version for his 1957 album Gil Evans & Ten
• Chet Baker recorded it for his 1959 album Chet.
• Yusef Lateef recorded it on his 1959 album Cry! - Tender
• Bobby Timmons from his album Easy Does It (1961)
• Milt Jackson recorded it on his 1962 Big Bags album
• Bill Evans recorded his version of the song for his 1962 album Moon Beams and also on his Trio '65 album
• Sheila Jordan recorded it on her 1963 debut album Portrait of Sheila
• Junior Cook recorded it on the 1963 Roy Brooks album Beat
• Red Garland recorded a quintet version that appeared on his Soul Burnin' album, released in 1964
  • Wynton Kelly recorded a trio version that appeared on his 1965 album Undiluted Wes Montgomery on the live album Smokin' at the Half Note (1965)
• Dexter Gordon recorded it on his 1970 album The Jumpin' Blues
• Kenny Drew recorded a version on his 1974 album If You Could See Me Now
• Barry Harris recorded it on his 1975 Barry Harris Plays Tadd Dameron album
• Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on Life (1976)
• Oscar Peterson – The Oscar Peterson Four with Joe Pass recorded it in 1983 on the album If You Could See Me Now
• Etta Jones recorded the song for her 1978 album If You Could See Me Now
• John Abercrombie and John Scofield included the song in their 1984 album Solar.
• Jaco Pastorius covered the song in 1985 during a televised concert in Belgium.^[3]
• Jacky Terrasson and Tom Harrell included the song in their 1991 Moon and Sand album.^[4]
• Mel Tormé recorded a notable version in 1995 with Canadian trombonist and bandleader Rob McConnell.^[5]
• Buddy DeFranco from his 1992 album Chip off the Old Bop and 1997 Dave McKenna album You Must Believe in Swing
• Joe Lovano included it in his 2000 album 52nd Street Themes.
• Eliane Elias included the song in her 2010 album Eliane Elias Plays Live.

Notes and References

1. Book: Giddins, Gary. Visions of Jazz: The First Century. 7 December 2011. May 18, 2000. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-513241-0. 308.
2. Book: Gioia, Ted. The History of Jazz. registration. 7 December 2011. May 9, 2011. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-539970-7. 214.
3. Web site: Jaco Pastorius - If You Could See Me Now. YouTube. March 25, 2013.
4. Web site: Moon & Sand - Jacky Terrasson Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic . . 27 August 2020 . en-us.
5. Web site: If You Could See Me Now. Jazz Standards.com. December 7, 2011.