Invitation

"Invitation" is a theme by Bronisław Kaper, first heard in the 1950 film A Life of Her Own, with lyrics later added by Paul Francis Webster. This page has the Invitation chords and a backing track you can slow down, speed up and transpose.

Who wrote "Invitation"

Bronisław Kaper wrote the music as film music for MGM: it was heard in A Life of Her Own in 1950 and became the main theme of Invitation in 1952. Paul Francis Webster wrote lyrics in 1956, but jazz players almost always play it as an instrumental. Kaper also wrote "On Green Dolphin Street".

Recordings that made it a standard

• Joe Henderson, Tetragon (1968) — a tenor saxophone version at a medium tempo.
• Jaco Pastorius, Invitation (1983) — a big-band version that gave its name to the album.

The tune is often played as a Latin piece in the A sections and swung in the bridge.