“Then I’ll Be Tired of You”: Keith Jarrett, John Coltrane, Fats Waller

In its original form, Then I’ll Be Tired of You is the quintessential catchy popular song from America’s jazz age. The composer Arthur Schwartz (1900-1984) wrote the song in 1934 with lyricist Yip Harburg. It was first recorded on August 9, 1934 by Freddy Martin and His Orchestra. The same year, the legendary jazz musician “Fats” Waller, exponent of the Harlem stride style of piano playing, made his own recording. Recordings by singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole followed; and Then I’ll Be Tired of You became a popular jazz standard.

Let’s listen to the unique ways in which this song is transformed in three jazz improvisations. First, we’ll hear Keith Jarrett’s poignant solo piano improvisation from a 1987 concert in Tokyo. In the spontaneity of the moment, Jarrett seems to become a vessel through which powerful cosmic forces work. The saxophonist John Coltrane included Then I’ll Be Tired of You on his 1963 album, Stardust. He is joined by Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Arthur Taylor (drums). “Fats” Waller’s recording returns to the song’s swinging, jazz age origins.

Keith Jarrett (1987)

John Coltrane (1963)

“Fats” Waller (1934)

Recordings

• Keith Jarrett – Solo Tribute: The 100th Performance in Japan Amazon
• Stardust, John Coltrane Amazon
• “Fats” Waller and his Rhythm Amazon

Featured Image: 1930s New York, photograph by Samuel Gottscho