JAZZ TUNES & STANDARDS

Jazz and pop musicians learn repertoire from records or from printed music. Jazz musicians sometimes
specialise in a particular area but there are some tunes that everyone should know, if only to avoid
embarrassment at a jam session when someone calls Summertime. It is important to know the harmony as
well as the melody. Most standards are available as sheet music, but jazz musicians often use fake books
(real books) or buskers books which contain only the melody and chord symbols (and sometimes a rough
rhythm guide). The Hartley library has The New Real Book vols 1, 2 and 3 in Bb, Eb and C. Much of the
important repertoire is also available in the various playalong books with CDs.

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 I'm Beginning To See The Light

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 Moonlight In Vermont
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 Star Eyes
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good Stardust
I'm Beginning To See The Light
I Want To Talk About You
In A Sentimental Mood
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
Just Friends
Lady Be Good
Lady Is A Tramp *
Laura
Love For Sale
Summertime **
Lover Come Back to Me
Sunny **
Loverman
Sweet Georgia Brown
Lullaby Of Birdland
Tangerine
Mack The Knife *
Tea for Two
Mean To Me
Tenderly
Meditation
There Will Never Be Another You
Misty **
These Foolish Things
Wave
My Favourite Things
Way You Look Tonight
My Funny Valentine
What Is This Thing Called Love?
Night And Day
When The Saints Go Marching In
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
**
On A Slow Boat To China
When Sunny Gets Blue
One Note Samba
Willow Weep For Me
Out Of Nowhere
You Are My Sunshine
Over The Rainbow
Pennies From Heaven
Satin Doll **
Shadow Of Your Smile
Skylark
Softly as In A Morning Sunrise
Someone To Watch Over Me
Stella By Starlight
Stomping At The Savoy
Stormy Weather
 Ornithology
Jazz Standards Perdido **
Preacher
Basin Street Blues Prelude To A Kiss
Blue Bossa Rhythm-A-Ning
Caravan * Robbin's Nest
Chelsea Bridge Round Midnight
Cotton Tail Scrapple From The Apple
Countdown Shiny Stockings
Dat Dere Sidewinder
Dig Sister Sadie
Dolphin Dance So What?
Donna Lee Song For My Father
Doxy Solar
Four Sophisticated Lady
Giant Steps * St. Thomas *
Good Bait Stolen Moments
I Remember Clifford Sugar
Impressions Take Five *
In A Mellow Tone Take The A Train **
Invitation Tune Up
It Don’t Mean A Thing * Well You Needn't
Jeannine Work Song *
Jeep Is Jumpin Yardbird Suite
Jitterbug Waltz
Jordu Jazz Blues
Joy Spring
Just Friends Billie's Bounce
Killer Joe Blue Monk **
Lazy bird C Jam Blues **
Lester Leaps In ** Cool Blues
Little Sunflower Cousin Mary
Lonely Woman Jumping With Symphony Sid *
Lullaby Of Birdland Mr. P.C. *
Maiden Voyage Night Train
Manteca Now's The Time **
Meet The Flintstones Red Top
Moments Notice Some Other Blues
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy * Sonnymoon For Two *
Milestones Straight No Chaser
Moanin * Tenor Madness
Moments Notice Things Ain't What They Used To
Monks Mood Be *
My Little Suede Shoes * Watermelon Man **
Naima
Nefertiti
Night In Tunisia
Oleo