Essential Jazz Tunes List 2008 (by Chicago Trumpeter Nick
Drozdoff)
I regularly attend about 5 different jam sessions in the Chicago area. The make of personnel/attendees
varies from very young and inexperienced to seasoned professionals. It is from the seasoned pros
(musicians at least 20 years my senior) that I have learned/gleaned the most. Jazz musicians these days
study chords, scales, patterns theory. This is important, but this is actually the minimum required. This
may sound daunting, as you should know EVERY scale and chord ALL OF THEM! The next step
is transcribing solos, of course. This is a big addition to the theory. However, what I have discovered
from working with these experienced pros is that they go far deeper than that. They seem to have an
incredibly intuitive understanding of melodic structure. This is no accident and it comes form their
experience. They literally know thousands of tunes. I am not exaggerating here. The best folks I have
gotten to know seem to be utterly un-stumpable. The finest jazz players can play anything they can hear
and have heard and know thousands of tunes. This is what I have gleaned from this project so far.
So in the spirit of sharing, here is a list of 150 tunes/changes in alphabetical order that I have found
seem to get called repeatedly at jam sessions and on dinner sets on high class jobbing dates. I have
made it my job to know every one of these tunes from memory. I know hundreds more, but, again,
these seem to be the essential mix, so far. As my list grows, Ill edit here.
Essential Jazz List
A Child Is Born
A Day In The Life Of A Fool
A Day Of Wine And Roses
A Night IN Tunisia
Afro Blue
Airmail Special
Alice In Wonderland
All The Things You Are
Almost Like Being In Love
Alone Together
And I Love Her
Anthropology
Au Privave
Autumn Leaves
Back Home In Indiana
Billies Bounce
Birks Works
Blackbird Singing In The Dead Of Night
Blowing The Blues Away
Blue Bossa
Blue n Boogie
Blues in Ab
Blues in C
Blues in Db
Blues in G
Blueswalk
Body and Soul
Broadway
But Beautiful
Bye Bye Blackbird
Caravan
Chameleon
Cheek To Cheek
Cherokee
Close Your Eyes
Confirmation
Cookin At The Continental
Dear Old Stockholm
Desafinado
Dig
Dinah
Dizzy Atmosphere
Donna Lee
Dont Get Around Much Anymore
Down By The Riverside
Doxy
Embraceable You
Emily
Epistrophy
Every Time We Say Goodbye
Exactly Like You
Five Foot Two
Footprints
Four
Freedom Jazz Dance
Fungi Mama
Good Bait
Groovin High
Have You Met Miss Jones
Hello Dolly
Heres That Rainy Day
Hot House
How High The Moon
How Insensitive
I Cant Get Started
I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
I Love Paris
I Love You
I Remember Clifford
Ill Remember April
Impressions
In A Mellow Tone
Invitation
It Might Asw Well Be Spring
Its You Or No One
Jada
Jordu
Joy Spring
Just The Way You Look Tonight
Little Sunflower
Love For Sale
Margie
Michele
Misterioso
Misty
Moten Swing
Mr. PC
Night And Day
No More Blues
Nows The Time
Nuttville
Oleo
Ornithology
Paper Moon
Pennies From Heaven
Pensativa
Pent Up House
Perdido
Polka Dots and Moonbeams
Ramblin
Rhythm Changes in F, Bb, Ab, and C
Robbins Nest
Round Midnight
Salt Peanuts
Sandu
Satin Doll
Scrapple For The Apple
Seven Steps To Heaven
Sidewinder
Sister Sadie
Slow Boat To China
Society Red
Softly As The Morning Sunrise
Solitude
Someday My Prince Will Come
Someone To Watch Over Me
Something
Song For My Father
Sophisticated Lady
Stablemates
Stardust
Stella By Starlight
Stolen Moments
Stompin At The Savoy
Struttin With Some Barbacue
Sweet Georgia Brown
SWonderful
Syeedas Song Flute
Taking A Chance On Love
Tangerine
Tenderly
Tenor Madness
The Girl From Ipanema
Them There Eyes
There Will Never Be Another You
They Cant Take That Away From Me
Things Aint What They Used To Be
Triste
Tune Up
Up Jumped Spring
Well You Neednt
West End Blues
What Is This Thing Called Love
Whispering
Willow Weep For Me
With A Song In My Heart
Woody n You
Work Song
Yesterdays
You Made Me Love You
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
Youd Be So Nice To Come Home To
Youll Never Know
Youre Blas
>>Nick Drozdoff
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From Pete Thomas (UK sax player/educator):
Below is a list of some of the most famous jazz tunes that I have found useful. This is by no means a
comprehensive list, it is based mostly on jazz of the 30s - 50s and useful repertoire can vary from
region to region in the world. There is a very comprehensive repertoire list in The Jazz Theory Book by
Mark Levine. More modern jazz has become so diverse stylistically that it becomes almost impossible
to list modern standards.
Tunes marked * are very important - everyone ought to know.
Tunes marked ** are essential - everyone must know.
Standards
Jazz Standards
Jazz Blues
Ain't Misbehavin'
All Blues
All Of Me *
All The Things You Are *
Autumn In New York
Autumn Leaves *
Blue Moon *
Body And Soul
Bye Bye Blackbird
Cherokee
Days Of Wine And Roses
Desafinado
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From
Me
Embraceable You
Flamingo
Fly Me To The Moon
Foggy Day
Georgia On My Mind **
Girl From Ipanema *
Green Dolphin Street
Have You Met Miss Jones?
Here's That Rainy Day
Honeysuckle Rose
How High The Moon
I Got Rhythm **
I Can't Get Started
I Cover The Waterfront
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
Basin Street Blues
Blue Bossa
Caravan *
Chelsea Bridge
Cotton Tail
Countdown
Dat Dere
Dig
Dolphin Dance
Donna Lee
Doxy
Four
Giant Steps *
Good Bait
I Remember Clifford
Impressions
In A Mellow Tone
Invitation
It Dont Mean A Thing
*
Jeannine
Jeep Is Jumpin
Jitterbug Waltz
Jordu
Joy Spring
Just Friends
Killer Joe
Lazy bird
Lester Leaps In **
Little Sunflower
Billie's Bounce
Blue Monk **
C Jam Blues **
Cool Blues
Cousin Mary
Jumping With Symphony Sid *
Mr. P.C. *
Night Train
Now's The Time **
Red Top
Some Other Blues
Sonnymoon For Two *
Straight No Chaser
Tenor Madness
Things Ain't What They Used To Be
*
Watermelon Man **
I'm Beginning To See The Light
I Want To Talk About You
In A Sentimental Mood
I'm Beginning To See The Light
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
Just Friends
Lady Be Good
Lady Is A Tramp *
Laura
Love For Sale
Lover Come Back to Me
Loverman
Lullaby Of Birdland
Mack The Knife *
Mean To Me
Meditation
Misty **
Moonlight In Vermont
My Favourite Things
My Funny Valentine
Night And Day
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
On A Slow Boat To China
One Note Samba
Out Of Nowhere
Over The Rainbow
Pennies From Heaven
Satin Doll **
Shadow Of Your Smile
Skylark
Softly as In A Morning Sunrise
Someone To Watch Over Me
Star Eyes
Stardust
Stella By Starlight
Stomping At The Savoy
Stormy Weather
Summertime **
Sunny **
Sweet Georgia Brown
Tangerine
Tea for Two
Tenderly
There Will Never Be Another You
These Foolish Things
Wave
Way You Look Tonight
What Is This Thing Called Love?
When The Saints Go Marching In
Lonely Woman
Lullaby Of Birdland
Maiden Voyage
Manteca
Meet The Flintstones
Moments Notice
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy *
Milestones
Moanin *
Moments Notice
Monks Mood
My Little Suede Shoes
*
Naima
Nefertiti
Night In Tunisia
Oleo
Ornithology
Perdido **
Preacher
Prelude To A Kiss
Rhythm-A-Ning
Robbin's Nest
Round Midnight
Scrapple From The
Apple
Shiny Stockings
Sidewinder
Sister Sadie
So What?
Song For My Father
Solar
Sophisticated Lady
St. Thomas *
Stolen Moments
Sugar
Take Five *
Take The A Train **
Tune Up
Well You Needn't
Work Song *
Yardbird Suite
**
When Sunny Gets Blue
Willow Weep For Me
You Are My Sunshine
From the Manhattan School of Music:
YEAR 1
1. Blue Bossa
2. Stella by Starlight
3. Satin Doll
4. Take the A Train
5. There Will Never Be Another You
6. Dont Get Around Much Anymore
7. Green Dolphin Street
8. Indiana
9. I Got Rhythm
10. Honeysuckle Rose
11. Autumn Leaves
12. The Girl From Ipanema
13. Wave
14. Misty
15. My Funny Valentine
16. Someday My Prince Will Come
17. All of Me
18. Bye Bye Blackbird
19. Tenor Madness
20. So What
21. Cool Blues
22. Perdido
23. Sweet Georgia Brown
24. What Is This Thing Called Love?
25. Stompin at the Savoy
26. Night and Day
27. Mr. PC
28. All Blues
29. Maiden Voyage
30. A Night in Tunisia
YEAR 2
1. Once I Had a Secret Love
2. Confirmation
3. Like Someone In Love
4. I Hear a Rhapsody
5. I Love You
6. Our Love Is Here to Stay
7. Prelude To a Kiss
8. Stardust
9. Heres That Rainy Day
10. The Days of Wine and Roses
11. A Day in the Life of a Fool
12. Embraceable You
13. Body and Soul
14. Cherokee
15. Whats New
16. Afternoon in Paris
17. Alone Together
18. Yesterdays
19. Au Privave
20. All the Things You Are
21. Milestones (old)
22. Bluesette
23. Quiet Nights
24. Dont Blame Me
25. Footprints
26. Four
27. Roseta
28. Lady Bird
29. Joyspring
30. Minority
13
YEAR 3
1. All of You
2. Beautiful Love
3. Darn That Dream
4. Everything Happens to Me
5. Heres That Rainy Day
6. Dearly Beloved
7. How High the Moon
8. Meditation
9. I Cant Get Started
10. I Got It Bad
11. End of a Love Affair
12. I Remember April
13. In a Mellow Tone
14. In a Sentimental Mood
15. Invitation
16. Seven Steps to Heaven
17. It Dont Mean a Thing
18. My One and Only Love
19. Ill Take Romance
20. Up Jumped Spring
21. Out of Nowhere
22. Round Midnight
23. Solar
24. The Shadow of Your Smile
25. Sophisticated Lady
26. Tenderly
27. Take 5
28. Tune Up
29. When I Fall in Love
30. Just One of Those Things
YEAR 4
1. Giant Steps
2. Struttin With Some Barbecue
3. The Way You Look Tonight
4. Jitterbug Waltz
5. Love for Sale
6. Easy Living
7. Willow Weep for Me
8. You Stepped Out of a Dream
9. Woody n You
10. Con Alma
11. Once I Love
12. How Insensitive
13. The Song Is You
14. Blame It on My Youth
15. My Favorite Things
16. Blue in Green
17. God Bless the Child
18. Have You Met Miss Jones?
19. In a Sentimental Mood
20. For All We Know
21. Fly Me to the Moon
22. I Remember You
23. Milestones (new)
24. One-Finger Snap
25. Just Friends
26. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
27. Mood Indigo
28. Dolphin Dance
29. A Foggy Day
30. Speak No Evil
14
YEAR 5
1. It Could Happen to You
2. Summertime
3. Nicas Dream
4. Spring Is Here
5. It Might as Well Be Spring
6. Spring Can Really Hang You Up
the Most
7. Pensativa
8. Upper Manhattan Medical Group
9. You Dont Know What Love Is
10. Round Midnight
11. St. Thomas
12. These Foolish Things
13. Watch What Happens
14. Speak Low
15. Pent Up House
16. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
17. My Shining Hour
18. Im Old-Fashioned
19. Imagination
20. I Thought About You
21. Everything Happens to Me
22. Moments Notice
23. Aint Misbehavin
24. Airegin
25. All Gods Children Got Rhythm
26. Angel Eyes
27. As Time Goes By
28. But Not for Me
29. But Beautiful
30. Caravan
YEAR 6
1. Chega de Saudade
2. A Child Is Born
3. Emily
4. Alice in Wonderland
5. Count Down
6. Easy to Love
7. Georgia
8. Gone With the Wind
9. Greensleeves
10. How Deep Is the Ocean?
11. Moonlight in Vermont
12. I Fall in Love Too Easily
13. Stablemates
14. I Should Care
15. If I Were a Bell
16. Its All Right With Me
17. If You Could See Me Now
18. Im Getting Sentimental Over You
19. In Your Own Sweet Way
20. Whispering
21. Ive Grown Accustomed to Your Face
22. Just in Time
23. Laura
24. Long Ago and Far Away
25. Love Walked In
26. Lover Man
27. Lover
28. Slow Boat to China
29. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise
30. Tangerine
Jazz Studies Repertoire List
University of Oregon
Songs on the Jazz Studies Repertoire List are required to be performed by memory including the
melody and improvised choruses over the chord changes. You are strongly encouraged to learn these
songs by listening to the original artists and recordings when possible. All songs may be found on
Jamey Aebersold play-alongs for practice purposes.
Freshman Year
Impressions (modal) - Dmi
Maiden Voyage (modal) - D7sus
Mr. PC (minor blues) - Cmi
Billie's Bounce (major blues) - F
Oleo (rhythm changes) - Bb
Autumn Leaves (standard) - Gmi
What's New (ballad) - C
Lady Bird (jazz classic) - C
Blues Bossa (jazz classic) - Cmi
Sophomore Year
All Blues (modal 6/8 blues) - G
Witch Hunt (modal) - Cmi
Tenor Madness (major blues) - Bb
Birk's Works (minor blues) - Fmi or Gmi
Scrapple From the Apple (jazz classic) - F
Out of Nowhere (standard) - G
Misty/I Want to Talk About You (ballad) - Eb
Alone Together (standard) - Dmi
Solar (jazz classic) - Cmi
Junior Year
Four (jazz classic) - Eb
Green Dolphin Street (standard) - C and Eb
What is This Thing Called Love (standard) - Cmi
Caravan (jazz classic) - Fmi
Invitation (standard) - Cmi
Body and Soul (standard) - Db
Stella By Starlight (standard) - Bb
It's You or No One (standard) - F
Lazy Bird (jazz classic) - G
Moment's Notice (jazz classic) - Eb
Once I Loved (standard) - F
All The Things You Are (standard) - Ab
Council for Higher Education in Music (a group of Maryland colleges)
Jazz Repertoire
(Freshman Year: Semester 1)
Standards: Satin Doll, Take the A Train. Autumn Leaves.
Be-Bop: Tune-up. Four.
Bossa Nova/Samba: Song for My Father. Blue Bossa.
Ballads: In a Sentimental Mood. Yesterdays.
Blues: Blue Monk. Now's the Time. Equinox.
Modal: So What. Cantaloupe Island.
Three-Four: Footprints. All Blues.
Suggested Aebersold Volumes in Addition to Repertoire: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 21, 24, 54.
Suggested David Baker Volumes in Addition to Repertoire: How to Play Be-Bop, Volume 1.
(Freshman Year: Semester 2)
Standards: Just Friends. Invitation. It Don't Mean a Thing.
Be-Bop: Oleo. Scrapple From the Apple. Solar.
Bossa Nova/Samba: 500 Miles High. Girl from Ipanema.
Ballads: Tenderly. Misty.
Blues: Billie's Bounce. Mr. P.C., Blue Trane. Straight No Chaser.
Modal: Little Sunflower. Maiden Voyage. Milestones. Freedom Jazz Dance (emphasizes
fourth intervals).
Three-Four: Alice in Wonderland. A Child is Born. My Favorite Things (also modal--cf
Coltrane version).
Suggested Aebersold Volumes in Addition to Repertoire: Volumes 1,2,3,21,24,54.
Suggested David Baker Volumes in Addition to Repertoire: How to Play Be-Bop, Volume 2.
(Sophomore Year: Semester 1)
Standards: Green Dolphin Street. I'll Remember April. All the Things You Are.
Be-Bop: Night in Tunisia. Confirmation. Lazy Bird. Cherokee. Joy Spring.
Bossa Nova/Samba: Spain. How Insensitive. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars.
Ballads: Round Midnight. Prelude to a Kiss.
Modal: Impressions. Passion Dance.
Three-Four: Waltz for Debbie. Fly Me to The Moon in 3/4.
Complex Time Signatures: Paul Desmond, Take Five
Suggested David Baker Volumes in Addition to Repertoire: How to Play Be-Bop, Volume 3.
(Sophomore Year: Semester 2)
Standards: Stella by Starlight. There Will Never be Another You. How High the Moon
Be-Bop: Giant Steps (moderate tempo). Donna Lee. Moment's Notice. Nica's Dream.
Bossa Nova/Samba: One Note Samba. Wave. Ceora
Ballads: Namia. Lush Life.
Three-Four: La Fiesta. Up Jumped Spring.
Complex Time Signatures: All the Things You Are in 7/4. My Favorite Things in 11/4
