Autumn Leaves is an enduring jazz and pop standard that began as the French song Les Feuilles mortes, composed in 1945 by Joseph Kosma with French lyrics by Jacques Prévert. The English version with lyrics by Johnny Mercer appeared in 1950 under the title Autumn Leaves, and Jo Stafford made the first English recording in July 1950. An instrumental arrangement by Roger Williams became a US number one hit in 1955, helping the tune become one of the best selling piano records and a major gateway to jazz for many listeners. Musically the tune is typically played in A minor (often heard in G minor), in an ABC form with a circle of fifths ii-V-I progression, making it a common teaching piece for jazz harmony. It has been recorded thousands of times by artists from Yves Montand and Nat King Cole to Bill Evans and John Coltrane, and it also serves as the official corps song of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.
