Essential Jazz repertoire, part 1.
As you build up your collection of essential jazz repertoire it’s likely that the bulk of your growing collection will consist of what is known as jazz standards. Although this term covers a wide range of material, it usually refers to well known songs played by jazz musicians but originally written for Broadway musicals by such composers as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin and Harold Arlen.
In order to learn these essential jazz standards, my advice is for you to begin by listening to ‘straight’ vocal versions before approaching jazz interpretations. This will give you a secure understanding of the melody. Even the greatest jazz players often play an approximation, or wander away from the original melody into their interpretation or memory of the tune.
My list does not necessarily contain my favourite standards, but they are the tunes that usually come up when playing with other musicians.
You can find the complete list in chapter 9 of my eBook 3. Here’s the link to all 4 books.
I’ve also included the key that the songs is usually played in, but if you are accompanying a vocalist be prepared for any key.
I’ve boxed tunes that you should start with.
So here is part 1 of your essential jazz standards repertoire:
Crazy Rhythm
Composer: Irving Caesar
Date: 1928
Form: AABA
Usual key: G
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Don’t Blame Me
Composer: Jimmy McHugh
Date: 1933
Form: AABA
Usual key: C
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Easy Living
Composer: Robin & Rainger
Date: 1937
Form: AABA
Usual key: F
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Embraceable You
Composer: Gershwin
Date: 1928
Form: AB
Usual key: G
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Fly Me To The Moon
Composer: Bart Howard
Date: 1954
Form: AB
Usual key; C
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Georgia On My Mind
Composer:
Hoagy Carmichael
Date: 1930
Form: AABA
Usual key: F
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(On) Green Dolphin Street
Composer: Bronislau Kaper
Date: 1947
Form: AB
Usual key: Eb, C
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Have You Met Miss Jones
Composer: Richard Rodgers
Date: 1937
Form: AABA
Usual key: F
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Honeysuckle Rose
Composer: Fats Waller
Date; 1929
Form: AABA
Usual key: F
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How Deep Is The Ocean
Composer: Irving Berlin
Date: 1932
Form: AB
Usual key: Eb (C minor)
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How High The Moon
Composer: Morgan Lewis
Date: 1940
Form: AB
Usual key: G
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I Can’t Get Started
Composer: Vernon Duke
Date: 1936
Form: AABA
Usual key: G
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I’ll Remember April
Composer: Gene De Paul
Form: ABC
Usual key: G
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