Aren't You Glad You're You" is a perfect marriage of optimism and sunshine in the lyrics, melody and harmony. It has a couple of chord changes that are unexpected enough to spice it up for blowing, and it's fun to sing or play. Crosby's recording seems to be unavailable on the web. LaRosa's record enjoyed a good deal of air play in the early 1950s and works nicely for our purpose. He takes mild liberties with the lyrics, employs interesting phrasing and radiates the song's happy outlook.
There may have been jazz versions of Aren't You Glad You're You" before 1952, but the first one I know of was on Gerry Mulligan's initial quartet album for Pacific Jazz. Mulligan had gone from insider favorite to general popularity with his pianoless quartet co-starring Chet Baker. In the early 1950s it was not illegal for jazz to have general popularity. Here, Mulligan introduces the piece in a live performance, presumably at The Haig in Los Angeles. Mulligan, baritone saxophone; Baker, trumpet; Chico Hamilton or Larry Bunker, drums; and probably Carson Smith, bass.
Cut in a sequence of pages flying off a calendar and, whaddaya know, it's November, 2009, and the John McNeil-Bill McHenry Quartet is on the stand at the Cornelia Street Caf in New York. Joe Martin is the bassist, Jochem Rueckert the drummer. It may seem that after the melody chorus, our intrepid modernists leave Mr. Burke's chord scheme behind but, as I keep telling you, listen to the bass player. If McNeil seems amused by McHenry's initial solo flurry, it's for good reason.
McNeil and McHenry did not include Aren't You Glad You're You?" in Rediscovery, their CD excursion into the bebop and west coast past. Perhaps it will show up on the sequel. Perhaps there will be a sequel.
Have a good weekend. Aren't you glad you're you?