You Must Believe In Spring is a composition by Michel Legrand, originally written in 1967 as "La chanson de Maxence" with French lyrics by Jacques Demy for the film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort). English lyrics were later provided by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, who Legrand met through Henry Mancini and Quincy Jones after moving to Hollywood in 1966. The first commercial recording of the English-language version was by Marlena Shaw in 1972. The tune is a lyrical ballad that exemplifies Legrand's gift for crafting singable, unending melodies paired with sophisticated harmonic cycles that create constant tension and resolution. Its fundamental simplicity masks deeper musical complexity, making it equally effective in vocal and instrumental settings. The composition became indelibly associated with Bill Evans, whose 1977 trio recording with Eddie Gomez on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums brought the tune to wide attention in the jazz world. Released posthumously in 1980 as the title track of the album You Must Believe In Spring, Evans's tender, deliberate reading of the melody has become a touchstone interpretation. The tune has been recorded approximately 400 times across vocal and instrumental versions, firmly establishing it as a jazz standard alongside Legrand's other celebrated works. The Chad LB Quartet's 2021 Standards Night session features interpretations by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown on tenor saxophone and Steven Feifke on piano.
