Jesse Greer was an American composer and songwriter active primarily during the Tin Pan Alley era. Born in New York City in 1896, he built a career writing popular songs for Broadway, vaudeville, and Hollywood films, composing over 200 published songs across two decades. His most enduring contribution is Just You, Just Me, written in 1929 with lyricist Raymond Klages for the MGM film Marianne, which became a widely performed jazz standard recorded by artists from Rudy Vallee to Johnny Hartman. Greer and Klages formed a prolific partnership, collaborating on songs for multiple films including Hollywood Revue of 1929 and Top Sergeant Mulligan. Other notable compositions include Flapperette, a popular fox-trot instrumental, along with Kitty from Kansas City, Baby Blue Eyes, Freshie, and Sleepy Head. Greer contributed music to over half a dozen films between 1929 and 1941 and wrote songs with collaborators including George Jessel and Billy Rose. His work represents a significant thread in the fabric of early American popular song, bridging the gap between vaudeville entertainment and the emerging sound film era.
