“Lover Man” is one of the torchiest and bluesy of all ballads. It is not a true blues, but it has many elements of the blues and a set of lyrics that portrays a great deal of sadness and longing. It has been recorded primarily by female vocalists, but there are many great instrumental recordings of this ballad. The alto sax falls in the range of many female vocalists and this is probably why is has been recorded by so many great alto players.
Lover Man - Episode 1
On this podcast I have picked five classic interpretations of the composition as performed by some of the most renowned alto saxophonists starting with Charlie Parker’s infamous 1946 version. Each instrumentalist injects their style of phrasing and nuance into the performance. They have to compensate for the fact that the lyrics are not presented to the listeners.
| Compositon | Artist | Album | Year |
| Lover Man | Charlie Parker | | 1946 |
| Lover Man | Lee Konitz/Gerry Mulligan | Gerry Mulligan Quartet Plus Lee Konitz | 1953 |
| Lover Man | Jackie McLean | New Traditions | 1955 |
| Lover Man | Cannonball Adderley | Cannonball en Route | 1957 |
| Lover Man | Sonny Stitt/Don Patterson | Soul Electricity | 1968 |
Lover Man - Episode 2
| Composition | Artist | Album | Year |
| Lover Man | Don Byas | | ca. 1953 |
| Lover Man | Billie Holiday/Toots Camerata Orchestra | | 1944 |
| Lover Man | Sarah Vaughan Trio | Swingin’ Easy | 1954 |
| Lover Man | Blossom Dearie | Blossom Dearie | 1956 |
| Lover Man | Carmen McRae | Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics | 1961 |
| Lover Man | Etta James | Mystery Lady—The Songs of Billie Holiday | 1994 |