Published:
2013-05-19
Updated:
2026-08-27
Learning Ukulele with Curt
How High the Moon
How High the Moon is a jazz standard with lyrics by Nancy Hamilton and music by Morgan Lewis. It was first featured in the 1940 Broadway revue Two for the Show, where it was sung by Alfred Drake and Frances Comstock.
Author(s): Curt Sheller, Chuck Anderson Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications Code: UL555
Main Category: Jazz Main Instrument: Any
Categories: Jazz
2026-08-19
RelatedSongAssets
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How High the Moon is a jazz standard with lyrics by Nancy Hamilton and music by Morgan Lewis. It was first featured in the 1940 Broadway revue Two for the Show, where it was sung by Alfred Drake and Frances Comstock.
How High the Moon
Premium Play-along Tracks are only available to Premium
members and Active/Private Students.
Here is a Demo of Desafinado to get an idea of the quality of these custom play-along tracks.
Play-along Demo: Desafinado
Desafinado — Premium Play-along Track with Guitar Melody Played
I, (Curt) originally created these tracks to perform over for gigs and this was a demo for booking gigs.
These Premium Play-along Tracks are available to LearningUkulele.com & Learning Ukulele with Curt. Site Members and are my personal one-of-kind tracks I (Curt) and Chuck Anderson recorded and arranged last century.
How High the Moon - Examples with Guitar
With example of guitar playing the melody.
Premium Play-along Tracks are only available to Premium
members and Active/Private Students.
Here is a Demo of Desafinado to get an idea of the quality of these custom play-along tracks.
Play-along Demo: Desafinado
Desafinado — Premium Play-along Track with Guitar Melody Played
I, (Curt) originally created these tracks to perform over for gigs and this was a demo for booking gigs.
These Premium Play-along Tracks are available to LearningUkulele.com & Learning Ukulele with Curt. Site Members and are my personal one-of-kind tracks I (Curt) and Chuck Anderson recorded and arranged last century.
How High the Moon is in the
Real Book - Volume 1
— Sixth Edition book.
In Two for the Show
, this was a rare serious moment in an otherwise humorous revue. The song was sung, in a slow fox trot tempo, by a group of evening-dressed people walking along a London street. At the end, they all looked at the sky, and cowered, obviously terrified: quick curtain. It was 1940, and the time of the London blitz: a clear night meant "bomber's moon".
Notable Recordings
The earliest recorded hit version was by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra. It was recorded February 7, 1940 and released by Columbia Records as catalog number 35391, with the flip side "Fable of the Rose". The Les Paul Trio recorded a version released as V-Disc 540B with a spoken introduction which was issued in November, 1945 by the U.S. War Department. In 1948, bandleader Stan Kenton enjoyed some success with his version of the tune. The recording, with a vocal by June Christy, was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 911 (with the flip side "Willow, Weep for Me") and 15117(with the flip side "Interlude"). It reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on July 9, 1948, its only week on the chart, at #27.
Roadmap
The song uses a descending chord progression in which the tonic of the moment turns minor to become the II of the chord a whole step below it.
More How High the Moon
content below, continue exploring...
More How High the Moon
In "Two for the Show", this was a rare serious moment in an otherwise humorous revue. The song was sung, in a slow fox trot tempo, by a group of evening-dressed people walking along a London street. At the end, they all looked at the sky, and cowered, obviously terrified: quick curtain. It was 1940, and the time of the London blitz: a clear night meant "bomber's moon".
Notable Recordings
The earliest recorded hit version was by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra. It was recorded February 7, 1940 and released by Columbia Records as catalog number 35391, with the flip side "Fable of the Rose". The Les Paul Trio recorded a version released as V-Disc 540B with a spoken introduction which was issued in November, 1945 by the U.S. War Department. In 1948, bandleader Stan Kenton enjoyed some success with his version of the tune. The recording, with a vocal by June Christy, was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 911 (with the flip side "Willow, Weep for Me") and 15117(with the flip side "Interlude"). It reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on July 9, 1948, its only week on the chart, at #27.
Roadmap
The song uses a descending chord progression in which the tonic of the moment turns minor to become the II of the chord a whole step below it.
How High the Moon
How High the Moon is a jazz standard with lyrics by Nancy Hamilton and music by Morgan Lewis. It was first featured in the 1940 Broadway revue Two for the Show, where it was sung by Alfred Drake and Frances Comstock. How High The Moon is also the basis for the song "Ornithology" a contrafact – a newly created melody written over the chord progression of another song.