Isham Jones was a bandleader and composer who produced a remarkable string of popular songs in the 1920s and 1930s, several of which have become permanent fixtures in the jazz repertoire. He began composing as a teenager, publishing his first piece at fourteen, and went on to write dozens of songs, many with lyricist Gus Kahn. Their collaboration yielded "It Had to Be You" and "I'll See You in My Dreams," both from 1924, along with "Swingin' Down the Lane," "The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else," and other hits. Jones also wrote "(There Is) No Greater Love" with lyricist Marty Symes in 1936 and "You've Got Me Crying Again" with Charles Newman. As a bandleader, Jones led one of the most popular dance orchestras of the 1920s, and his band served as a training ground for future talent, most notably Woody Herman, who took over the orchestra when Jones retired in 1936. Jones's melodies are distinguished by their strong, singable lines, which help explain why songs like "It Had to Be You" and "There Is No Greater Love" have remained staples for jazz musicians for a century.
