A Child Is Born (jazz standard)

Not to be confused with When a Child Is Born.

"A Child Is Born" is a jazz ballad. It was written in 1969 by the jazz trumpeter Thad Jones and Alec Wilder and has since become a jazz standard. The piece has been recorded by a number of musicians including Tony Bennett, Stanley Turrentine and Bill Evans (also released on Christmas with Sinatra & Friends), Richard Davis, Kenny Burrell, and Hank Jones.

Form

"A Child Is Born" is 32 bars long, and when soloing over it, jazz musicians "usually omit the last two bars", leaving a "30-bar solo form". The original was recorded in B-flat major. It features a slow, lengthy introduction on the piano, lasting over a minute. Bob Yurochko in his book A Short History of Jazz refers to it as a "beautiful ballad" of mainstream jazz.