Days of Wine and Roses

“Days of Wine and Roses” was written by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer for the 1962 film of the same name, and it quickly became part of the core jazz repertoire. Its bittersweet, nostalgic character—both harmonically and melodically—makes it especially attractive to jazz players, and there are classic recordings by everyone from Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson to Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass. Because students can hear it in ballad, Latin, and medium‑swing versions, it’s an accessible gateway into how one song can live in several different grooves and tempos.

Pedagogically, it’s a great tune because it offers very clear functional harmony and lots of idiomatic ii–V motion without being harmonically overwhelming. The 32‑bar standard‑song layout, with its mix of repetition and subtle variation, makes it straightforward to memorize while still giving students something to analyze. The melody is singable and strong, which supports the “melody first, then improvise from it” approach, and the changes are simple enough for shell voicings yet rich enough to invite reharmonization and upper‑structure work. In one tune, your students get to practice guide tones, ii–V language, tonal‑center shifts, and comping in multiple feels—essentially a compact lab for core jazz vocabulary.