My Buddy

About This Recording

No one could match the raw emotion of Ray Charles in his later years, singing My Buddy to a tearful Quincy Jones. But when I first encountered this 1922 classic, it pulled me in for a different reason — its unusual form. Unlike many jazz standards that follow the AABA structure, My Buddy feels more like AB, giving it a conversational, open-ended flow that keeps the listener leaning in.

Craig Levy — producer for Come Explore With Me — has a knack for building arrangements that feel fresh and present. His My Buddy production layers vintage textures with a clarity that makes the song live in both worlds at once. After hearing his remarkable arrangement, we recorded multiple vocal takes before landing on the softest, lightest delivery, which finally meshed with the track. For a fleeting moment, I even slip into a whistle falsetto — a rarity for me on the album.

I dedicate My Buddy to my dear friend Steven Robert Esteves, my first songwriting collaborator. We became friends in high school and began writing songs together in 1996 after graduation. Over two decades we penned around 50 songs, and in 2012 we completed Steve’s solo album. Life pulled me toward starting a family before we could release it, and it remains in the vault. Steve passed away on Christmas Day 2021. I miss him terribly. Often I think of something funny or meaningful to share with him — only to remember he’s not here. That’s when the loss feels sharpest. This one’s for you, buddy.

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Song History

My Buddy was written in 1922 by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. Originally conceived as a sentimental ballad about friendship, it quickly became a standard recorded by artists from Al Jolson to Rosemary Clooney. The lyric’s simple, heartfelt message (“Your buddy misses you”) gives it lasting emotional power, whether sung about a friend, a lover, or someone lost to time. My version of My Buddy – Jason Paul honors that legacy while adding my own phrasing and interpretation, bridging the 1920s and today.

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Listen to My Buddy – Jason Paul

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ChordPro Reference

cssCopyEdit{title:My Buddy}  
{subtitle:Music by Walter Donaldson, Words by Gus Kahn}  

[C]Nights are [C#-]long since [Dm7]you went a- [G7]way,  
I [C/E]think a- [Eb-]bout you [Dm7]all through the [G7]day,  
my [C]buddy, my [A7]buddy,  
no [Dm7]buddy [D7]quite so [G7]true.[G+]  

[C]Miss your [C#-]voice, the [Dm7]touch of your [G7]hand,  
just [C/E]long to [Eb-]know that [Dm7]you under [G7]stand,  
my [C]buddy, my [A7]buddy,  
your [Dm7]buddy [G7]misses [C]you.  

{tag: 1922}  
{tag: Gus Kahn}  
{tag: Walter Donaldson}