try playing quarter notes at 72 and lower it to 60 if that feels too fast - most jazz standards will sound and feel right at this speed - if you are not an experienced reader or are slow at sight-reading, start with 60 - give it a shot
Sometimes in the upper left-hand corner or on the first staff line, there may be a metronome mark represented by a quarter note = (BPM) - but it really depends on the music - other times there may be a tempo indicator somewhere in one of the top corners of the page - here is a list of common tempo markings pulled from Wikipedia:
From fastest to slowest, the common tempo markings are:
* Prestissimo — extremely fast (200 - 208 bpm)
* Vivacissimamente — adverb of vivacissimo, "very quickly and lively"
* Vivacissimo — very fast and lively
* Presto — very fast (168 - 200 bpm)
* Allegrissimo — very fast
* Vivo — lively and fast
* Vivace — lively and fast (~140 bpm)
* Allegro — fast and bright or "march tempo" (120 - 168 bpm)
* Allegro moderato — moderately quick (112 - 124 bpm)
* Allegretto — moderately fast (but less so than allegro)
* Moderato — moderately (108 - 120 bpm)
* Andantino — alternatively faster or slower than andante
* Andante — at a walking pace (76 - 108 bpm)
* Tranquillamente — adverb of tranquillo, "tranquilly"
* Tranquillo — tranquil
* Adagietto — rather slow (70 - 80 bpm)
* Adagio — slow and stately (literally, "at ease") (66 - 76 bpm)
* Grave — slow and solemn
* Larghetto — rather broadly (60 - 66 bpm)
* Largo — Very slow (40 - 60 bpm), like lento
* Lento — very slow (40 - 60 bpm)
* Largamente/Largo — "broadly", very slow (40 bpm and below)
* Larghissimo — very slow (20 bpm and below)
