Table of Contents:
What is a Jazz Standard?
A jazz standard is a musical theme that has acquired a certain notoriety in the jazz genre, which is known by many musicians and which has been the subject of numerous versions, interpretations and improvisations, and which is frequently used in jam sessions and performances.
There are standards from all eras of jazz, such as ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’, ‘I Got Rhythm’ or ‘How High the Moon’, ‘Take the ‘A’ Train’ to cite examples of the hot, swing and bop.
Many of the best-known standards were composed for films, or come from the so-called Great American Songbook, and have been incorporated into the genre, such as, for example, ‘Summertime’, by George Gershwin, while, for example, ”Round Midnight’, by Thelonious Monk, has been covered by, among others, Cootie Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Pepper, and Miles Davis.
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The most recorded standard composed by a jazz musician, and one of the most covered songs of all time, is Duke Ellington’s and Juan Tizol’s “Caravan” with over 500 uses.
Originally, the most recorded jazz standard was W. C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” for over 20 years from the 1930s onward, after which Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust” replaced it. Following this, the place was held by “Body and Soul” by Johnny Green.
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Before 1920
At the beginning of the 20th century, jazz was still considered dance music. The first Dixieland groups remained influenced by this image: King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and many other groups included Tin Pan Alley in their repertoires, and record companies sometimes dictated the list of titles that must be recorded by their artists.
Certain imposed songs have thus become standards, such as Darktown Strutters’ Ball or (Back Home Again in) Indiana, recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band at Columbia Records in 1917.
Also, among the standards of this era are the songs After You’ve Gone (Turner Layton and Henry Creamer, 1918) and Some of These Days (Sophie Tucker, 1910).
The 1920s
The Jazz Age began in the United States in the 1920s. Jazz became popular there, even though the older generation considered this music immoral and endangering their cultural values.
The first artist who allowed himself to freely choose his titles was Louis Armstrong, who popularized many standards during the years 1920 to 19301. The popular tunes of the 1920s were songs like Sweet Georgia Brown, Dinah or Bye Bye Blackbird.
Some compositions from this era written by jazz musicians have become standards such as Honeysuckle Rose (1928) and Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1929) by Fats Waller. The song Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish is the most recorded jazz standard of the 1920s. Others are written by Broadway composers such as The Man I Love by George and Ira Gershwin (1924), Blue Skies by Irving Berlin (1927), or What Is This Thing Called Love? by Cole Porter (1927).
However, it was not until the 1930s that jazz musicians became comfortable with the complex melodies and sophisticated harmonic grids of Broadway tunes, and used them regularly in their repertoires.
The 1930s
Broadway contributed some of the most popular standards of the 1930s, including the famous Summertime from the comedy Porgy and Bess by George and Ira Gershwin (1935), My Funny Valentine by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (1937), All the Things You Are by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II (1939), and Body and Soul by Johnny Green (1930). These standards are among the most recorded.
The 1930s saw swing establish itself in American music. Duke Ellington and his musicians composed many themes which would become jazz standards: It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) (1932), Sophisticated Lady (1933), Caravan (1936) among the most famous.
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The swing era (1935–1946) is that of the greatest big bands, such as those of Benny Goodman and Count Basie, who also participated in the repertoire of jazz standards.
The 1940s
New themes became popular, such as Cotton Tail by Duke Ellington (1940) or Take the ‘A’ Train by Billy Strayhorn (1941). The Second World War was a difficult time for big bands, and small groups developed.
The arrival of bebop brought out a new audience sensitive to sophisticated harmonies, fast tempos, and the virtuosity of the musicians. Their repertoires largely use the standards of the 1930s, but their compositions will also enter the list of standards: Salt Peanuts (1941) and A Night in Tunisia (1942) by Dizzy Gillespie, Anthropology (1946), Yardbird Suite (en) ( 1946), Scrapple from the Apple (1947) by Charlie Parker, or ‘Round Midnight (1944) by Thelonious Monk.
The 1950s and beyond
Some modal jazz recordings became popular in the late 1950s, such as the albums Kind of Blue by Miles Davis in 1959 with the compositions All Blues and So What, Impressions (en) by John Coltrane in 1963, or Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock in 1965.
In the mid-1960s, Miles Davis’ second major quintet with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock recorded a series of albums which contained standards such as Footprints (Wayne Shorter, 1966) and Freedom Jazz Dance (Eddie Harris, 1966).
At the end of the 1950s, bossa nova appeared in Brazil, a mixture of samba and jazz, made popular by João Gilberto, Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá. Gilberto and Stan Getz launched this trend in the United States in 1964 with the famous Getz/Gilberto album. Among the standards of the genre are compositions by Bonfá (Manhã de Carnaval, 1959), Marcos Valle (Summer Samba, 1966), and numerous songs by Jobim such as Desafinado (1959), The Girl from Ipanema (1962), Corcovado (1962).
In the mid-1970s, jazz fusion appeared, which was a mixture of jazz, funk and rock. Joe Zawinul with Weather Report, Chick Corea with Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock with The Headhunters, or John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra considerably broaden the jazz audience, and some of their successes have become standards: Spain (en) by Chick Corea (1971), Chameleon by Hancock (1973), and Birdland by Joe Zawinul (1977).
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Jazz standards
Musical compositions that have become jazz standards.
Irving Berlin – Alexander’s Ragtime Band [1911]
“Alexander’s Ragtime Band” is a Tin Pan Alley song by American composer Irving Berlin released in 1911 and is often inaccurately cited as his first global hit. Although not a traditional ragtime song, Berlin’s jaunty melody nonetheless “sold a million copies of sheet music in 1911, then another million in 1912, and continued to sell for years afterward.
It was the number one song from October 1911 through January 1912.” The song might be regarded as a narrative sequel to “Alexander and His Clarinet”, which Berlin wrote with Ted Snyder in 1910. The earlier song is mostly concerned with a reconciliation between an African-American musician named Alexander Adams and his flame Eliza Johnson, but also highlights Alexander’s innovative musical style.
Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” was introduced to the American public by vaudeville comedienne Emma Carus, “one of the great stars of the period.” A popular singer in the 1907 Ziegfeld Follies and Broadway features, Carus was a famous contralto of the vaudeville era, renowned for her “low bass notes and high lung power.”
Carus’ brassy performance of the song at the American Music Hall in Chicago on April 18, 1911, proved to be well-received, and she toured other metropolises such as Detroit and New York City with acclaimed performances that featured the catchy song. The song as comically recorded by American singing duo Arthur Collins and Byron G. Harlan became the number one hit of 1911.
Nearly two decades later, jazz singer Bessie Smith recorded a 1927 cover, which became one of the hit songs of that year. The song’s popularity re-surged in the 1930s with the release of a 1934 close harmony cover by the Boswell Sisters, and a 1938 musical film of the same name starring Tyrone Power and Alice Faye. The song was covered by a variety of artists such as Al Jolson, Billy Murray, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, and others. Within fifty years of its release, the song had at least a dozen hit covers.
Etta James – Stormy Weather
From the album is At Last.
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Artist or Composer / Score name | Cover | List of Contents |
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Chet Atkins Vintage Fingerstyle – Guitar |
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Chet Atkins Vintage Guitar Fingerstyle |
Chet Baker Autumn Leaves Transcription |
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Chet Baker But Not For Me By Gershwin (Trumpet Solo) |
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Chet Baker – All the Things You Are Solo Transcription Jazz Standard |
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Chet Baker It could happen to you (James Van Heusen) | it could happen to you1 | |
Chet Baker It could happen to you (solo transcription) | Chet-baker It-could-happen-to-you–solo | |
Chet Baker Just Friends (Solo transcription) | Chet Baker (Solo transcription) – Just Friends – Chet Baker | |
Chet Baker Scat Solos transcriptions |
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Chet Baker Scat Solos transcriptions |
Chet Baker Solos – transcriptions by Thorsten Wollmann |
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Chet Baker solos 1 |
Chet Baker Solos Vol 2 |
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Chet Baker solos |
Chet Baker, Paul Desmond Solos On Concierto De Aranjuez (Joaquin Rodrigo, Jim Hall) Transcription From The Concierto Album |
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Chevaliers de Sangreal (Hans Zimmer) | ||
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Chiaraluce (Giorgia) | ||
Chicago – Colour My World |
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Chicago – Best Selection (Band score) |
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Chicago – Best Selection (Band score) |
Chicago – Colour My World | ||
Chicago – Hard To Say Im Sorry | ||
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Chicago – If You Leave Me Now | ||
Chicago – You’re The Inspiration |
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Chicago (Movie vocal Selections) |
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Chicago Movie |
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Chicago Blues Guitar |
Chicago Blues Rhythm Guitar Tablature with MP3 audio tracks to play along |
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Chicago Blues Rhythm Guitar |
Chicago The Musical – Music by John Kander |
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Chicago The Musical |
Chick Corea 20 Children Songs For Piano Book sheet music |
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Chick Corea – 6 Pieces For Solo Guitar transcriptions | Chick Corea – 6 Pieces For Solo Guitar transcriptions | |
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Chick Corea – Eternal Child |
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Chick Corea – Keyboard Workshop |
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Chick Corea Keyboard Workshop |
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Chick Corea – Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (album, piano) |
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Chick Corea – Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (album, piano)2 |
Chick Corea – Origin Songs For Piano |
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Chick Corea – Origin Songs For Piano |
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Chick Corea – Pastime Paradise (Stevie Wonder) Performed LIVE at Jazz in Marciac 2015.mscz | ||
Chick Corea – Someone To Watch Over Me (Gershwin) Piano transcription | Chick Corea – Someone To Watch Over Me (Gershwin) Piano transcription | |
Chick Corea – Spain |
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Chick Corea – Spain ( Yohan Kim ver.) | Chick Corea – Spain ( Yohan Kim ver.) | Classics to jazz Mozart by Robbins Jonathon |
Chick Corea – Spain Akoustic Band – Chick’s Solo |
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Chick Corea – Waltz for Dave |
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Chick Corea And Return To Forever Musicmagic (Free Transcription For Piano Solo) | Chick Corea And Return To Forever Musicmagic (Free Transcription For Piano Solo) | |
Chick Corea and Return to Forever – Musicmagic (free transcription for Piano Solo).mscz | ||
Chick Corea Classics By Bil Dobbins |
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Chick Corea Classics |
Chick Corea Classics The Jazz Workshop Series |
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Chick Corea Classics The Jazz Workshop Series |
Chick Corea Collection Songbook |
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Chick Corea for piano solo vol 1 (originals by Chick Corea) |
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Chick Corea Got A Match Solo (jazz sheet music transcripton) | Chick Corea Got A Match Solo (jazz sheet music transcripton) | |
Chick Corea Jazz Improvisation |
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Chick Corea Jazz Improvisation |
Chick Corea Jazz Piano Collection |
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Chick Corea Jazz Piano Collection |
Chick Corea La Fiesta | Chick Corea La Fiesta | |
Chick Corea Music Poetry |
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Chick Corea Original Transcriptions Arranged By The Same Composer (Spain And Others) |
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Chick Corea Original Transcriptions Arranged By The Same Composer (Spain And Others) |
Chick Corea Piano Transcriptions |
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Chick Corea Piano Transcriptions |
Chick Corea Play Along Collection for Bb Instruments |
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Chick Corea Play Along Collection for Bb Instruments |
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Chick Corea solo transcription on Pannonica |
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Chick Corea Spain For Piano Solo |
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Chick Corea styles |
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Chick Corea styles |
Chick Corea The Essential Book |
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Essential chick corea |
Chico Buarque – O Que Sera (Guitar arr. sheet music with TABs) | Chico Buarque – O Que Sera (Guitar arr. sheet music with TABs) | |
Chico Buarque De Volta Ao Samba (Guitar) | Chico Buarque De Volta Ao Samba (Guitar) | |
Chico Buarque Guitar Songbook 1 |
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Chico Buarque Guitar Songbook |
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Chico Buarque Guitar Songbook |
Chico Buarque songbook 2 Almir Chediak |
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Chico Buarque Guitar Songbook |
Children of Eden – Stephen Schwartz (Full score) |
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Chinese Favourite piano solos |
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chinese piano solos |
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Chinese folk songs |
Chinese Music (1944) Book |
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Chiquilin de Bachin (The little beggar boy) Astor Piazzolla | ||
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Chocolat – Main Theme by Rachel Portman (Piano Solo) |
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Chocolat Rachel Portman (Main Titles) by Rachel Portman |
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Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 3 Tristesse Arr. Guitar | Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 3 Tristesse Arr. Guitar | |
Chopin Grande Polonaise Brilliante Preceded by an Andante Spianato. Op.22 | Chopin, Grande Polonaise Brilliante | |
Chopin – Nocturne No. 20 Opus Phostume in C sharp minor |
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Chopin – 21 Nocturnes Op. 9 & Op. 15 | Chopin 21 Nocturnes | |
Chopin – Anatole Leikin – The Mystery of Chopin’s Préludes (Book) |
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Chopin – Andante Spianato Op. 22 | Chopin 21 Nocturnes | |
Chopin – Ballade No 1 In G Minor Op 23 (Musescore File).mscz | ||
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Chopin – Etudes op 10 1 – 4 | ||
Chopin – Godowsky – Etudes Complete |
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Chopin – Lettres de Chopin et George Sand 1836-1839 Recueil (Book in French, français) |
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Chopin – Nocturne No 20 In C Sharp Minor Op Posth (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin – Nocturne Op 9 No 2 E Flat Major (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin – Nocturne Op.9 No.2 Guitar TABs ( arr. F. Tàrrega and K. Minami with the original) |
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Chopin – Nocturne Op.9 No.2 Guitar TABs ( arr. F. Tàrrega and K. Minami).mscz | ||
Chopin – OP 10 3 Tristesse | Chopin – OP10 3 Tristesse | |
Chopin – Opus 9 (Cortot) French |
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Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor 1st Mov. – Allegro Maestoso (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor Ii – Larghetto Romance (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin – Romance from Piano Concerto E minor Piano solo transcription |
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Chopin – Valse Opus 69 No. 1 (Posthumous) Waltz In A♭ Major (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin – Variations on La Ci Darem la Mano Op 2 | ||
Chopin . Préludes, Op 28 No. 15 arr. for Guitar.mscz | ||
Chopin 12 Etudes op 25 | Chopin Etudes op 25 | |
Chopin 12 Études Op. 10 (complete) Cortot Edition |
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Chopin 2 Polonaises Op 26 1 | ||
Chopin 51 Mazurkas (Complete) |
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Chopin Album of selected compositions |
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Chopin Balade 1 (Alfred Cortot edition) |
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Chopin Ballade No 1 in G Op 23 |
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Chopin Ballade No. 4 (Piano) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin Ballades Op 23 |
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Chopin Complete Etudes Schirmer Friedheim |
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Chopin Etudes Henle Urtext |
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Chopin Études Op. 10 (complete) |
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Chopin Etudes op.10 – Cortot French | Chopin Etudes op.10 – Cortot | |
Chopin Frédéric. The Complete Ballades, Impromptus, Scherzi & The Fantaisie Op. 49 |
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Chopin Impressions – Erroll Garner (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin Jazz Waltz No.7 (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin Klavierwerke Op. 10 Ed. Peters | ||
Chopin Nocturne In E Minor Op 72 No 1 (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Chopin Nocturne no 1 Op. 9 n. 1 | Chopin Nocturne no1 | |
Chopin Nocturne No. 20 in C-Sharp Minor Op. Posth. | Chopin Nocturne No. 20 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. Posth. | |
Chopin Nocturne op 27 2 | ||
Chopin Nocturne op. 72 n. 1 | Chopin Nocturne 72 1 |