This recording of Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" comes from Chad Lefkowitz-Brown's Quartet Sessions, released in 2019. The iconic Beatles composition receives a jazz treatment with a rock feel at a moderate tempo of approximately 78 BPM in the key of F major, using a 22-bar AAB form. Pianist Holger Marjamaa opens the solo section with one chorus, bringing jazz harmonic sophistication to the familiar pop melody while respecting the song's emotional directness. Lefkowitz-Brown follows on tenor saxophone with an extended one-and-two-thirds-chorus solo at a slightly relaxed tempo around 76 BPM, stretching the pop structure with improvisational depth while maintaining the song's inherent lyricism. The 22-bar AAB form is an unusual structure that reflects the asymmetric genius of McCartney's original composition, and both soloists navigate its irregular phrase lengths with natural ease. The rock feel keeps the performance grounded in the song's pop origins while the harmonic reinterpretation and improvisational approach bring it firmly into the jazz realm. The F major tonality preserves the warm, nostalgic quality of the original, and the moderate tempo allows both soloists to explore melodic ideas with patience and clarity.
