All of Me (jazz standard)

"All of Me" is a popular song and jazz standard written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons in 1931.

The downward thrusts of the opening phrases hint at emotional despair while the closing line, with its repeated high notes, seems almost jubilant.

[3] The harmony is relatively straightforward, and has served as the basis for Lennie Tristano's "Line Up", Warne Marsh's "Background Music",[3] and Bill Dobbins's "Lo Flame".

[1] Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra recorded the song on December 1 that year, with vocalist Mildred Bailey; this went to the top of the US pop charts.

[1] In the view of critic Ted Gioia, the definitive version was sung by Billie Holiday in 1941: "she staked a claim of ownership that no one has managed to dislodge in subsequent years".