Willow Weep for Me is a popular song written and composed by Ann Ronell in 1932. It is usually heard as a jazz and pop standard, written in an AABA form in 4/4 time, though some recordings use a 3/4 feel. Inspired by the willow trees at Radcliffe College, the tune faced early publication rejection before Irving Berlin accepted it. The first releases were Ted Fio Rito with Muzzy Marcellino in October 1932 and Paul Whiteman with Irene Taylor in November 1932, both becoming hits in December. It later became a jazz staple with numerous celebrated versions, including Stan Kenton and June Christy, and even a 1964-65 pop hit by Chad and Jeremy from the Yesterday’s Gone album, which peaked at No 15 on the US charts and topped the Adult Contemporary chart. Many great artists have covered it, such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, Wes Montgomery, and Oscar Peterson.
