Jazz Standards

[basskidd]

Hey

So, I've been working through a few standards in the past weeks, but wanted to get some input as to how to choose which one's to work on first... Basically, I was wondering which standards are regarded as the 'basic' or 'most-played' (I've already got a few down, like How High the Moon, All of Me, Autumn Leaves, Out of Nowhere, Four on Six, Red Clay, etc.).
Failing that, which one's do you think are good to work on because they offer the opportunity to work on specific techniques (chord substitutions, melodic minor, etc.)

Thanks!

 

[N.F.A.]

Try this website and list.
http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm
Here is a thread right here on TB that is related.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f73/must-know-jazz-standards-335454/

 

[basskidd]

Try this website and list.
http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm
Here is a thread right here on TB that is related.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f73/must-know-jazz-standards-335454/

Thanks for the links man!
Not sure how that thread escaped the clutches of my searches on here... :/

 

[anonymous111813]

If you take the first 100, I have played all of them except maybe two. So these are really necessary to know imo.

http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm

 

[bigboy_78]

Try this website and list.
http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm
Here is a thread right here on TB that is related.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f73/must-know-jazz-standards-335454/

The website linked in dodgy_ian (the guy who started the TB thread linked) signature seems to download a potentially harmful software. I'm at work so our anti-virus is pretty tough, but be careful if you follow it.

 

[basskidd]

The website linked in dodgy_ian (the guy who started the TB thread linked) signature seems to download a potentially harmful software. I'm at work so our anti-virus is pretty tough, but be careful if you follow it.

Good call on that, thanks for the heads up!

 

[gai113]

Autumn Leaves, Rhythm Changes, Blues, Minor Blues;

is definitely bread and butter

 

[bass12]

Yeah, don't underestimate the difficulty and usefulness of the blues. I'm also working on my standards and have been drilling "All Blues" and "Tenor Madness" along with stuff like "All Of Me" and "Alone Together"...

 

[xk49w]

Round here we call them the "dirty dozen". Sit in on a few jazz jams. Soon you'll tire of them too.

 

[Randyt]

Im still trying to learn Autumn Leaves...I remember my prof asking me ...Do you know autumn leaves...all cocky ...I said yes...he said" In every Key?"...I said yes...so i played a bit...then he asked me to sing the melody over the walking bass line...I tried...nearly killed me!!..then he asked for inversions/ substitutions...and on and on and on!!!...etc.

Then he says " I guess you really dont know the song then...do ya"...he is an intense guy...but ...he is an incredible teacher!..i have learned so much from this guy!

so note to myself..." You dont know...s*^t"..LOL

from my experience...internalize melody and harmonies....if you can do this with one song...the rest should be easy...LOL

 

[bass_study]

Mr. PC, jazz blues (Like Billie Bounce), Autumn Leaves, Blue Bossa

Remember to learn the bassline as well as the melody even we are bass players.

 

[JimmyM]

Im still trying to learn Autumn Leaves...I remember my prof asking me ...Do you know autumn leaves...all cocky ...I said yes...he said" In every Key?"...I said yes...so i played a bit...then he asked me to sing the melody over the walking bass line...I tried...nearly killed me!!..then he asked for inversions/ substitutions...and on and on and on!!!...etc.

Then he says " I guess you really dont know the song then...do ya"...he is an intense guy...but ...he is an incredible teacher!..i have learned so much from this guy!

so note to myself..." You dont know...s*^t"..LOL

from my experience...internalize melody and harmonies....if you can do this with one song...the rest should be easy...LOL

I like him!

 

[Russell L]

Im still trying to learn Autumn Leaves...I remember my prof asking me ...Do you know autumn leaves...all cocky ...I said yes...he said" In every Key?"...I said yes...so i played a bit...then he asked me to sing the melody over the walking bass line...I tried...nearly killed me!!..then he asked for inversions/ substitutions...and on and on and on!!!...etc.

Then he says " I guess you really dont know the song then...do ya"...he is an intense guy...but ...he is an incredible teacher!..i have learned so much from this guy!

so note to myself..." You dont know...s*^t"..LOL

from my experience...internalize melody and harmonies....if you can do this with one song...the rest should be easy...LOL

I agree with Jimmy. I like him, too.

Thing is, the changes in Autumn Leaves, as well as hundreds of jazz tunes, are pretty logical. You should try to develop your ear to the point of being able to follow along in your mind so that you CAN play in any key. It's one of my all-time favorite tunes, and I've played it enough that the key is immaterial. The sound is in my head, and the changes can be led to by scale steps.

(We lovingly call it "All Them Leaves," LOL).

 

[Snarf]

Round here we call them the "dirty dozen". Sit in on a few jazz jams. Soon you'll tire of them too.

I hear ya. Went to the session at Smalls once, by the 7th 10-minute tenor solo I wanted to slit my wrists.

 

[Randyt]

I like him!

heres a quick story...My prof loves to push...and when he sees something in you ..he will even push harder... Well, before every sesson , he asks " hows the practicing?'...for many sessions i would said "good"...and he would then push again and take it to a whole other level...(you just dont play music with this guy, "its a lifes Work"..its like playing Bach)...anyways...one day i walk in...and he asks " hows the practicing"...Well, I i unloaded on him and told him that i hit a wall ...the crazy practicing and on top of rehersals and gigs...it was killing me...He was never so happy...
i look back now and think what he was trying to attain with his students...I am truly greatful for all his help!

What i also appreciate is that he got you immersed in music, albeit, sometimes drowning in it!..not just playing it...but to read about it...comprehend other elements such as cosmology, liberal arts... the greatest compliment you could ever give him was to be called a "musician". He always thinks that term is thrown around way too much!!

 

[Russell L]

I hear ya. Went to the session at Smalls once, by the 7th 10-minute tenor solo I wanted to slit my wrists.

Ain't no better at the blues jam. I'm so tired of millions of notes on guitar per measure. Seems these days that's the style.

As for the jazz standards, well, yes, I get bored with them, too. But, not so bad with the songs themselves, but the solos can all begin to sound alike.

 

[Intenzity]

Here is a list I put together of the actual tunes that got called at two of the more popular jam sessions in my town in Oct-Dec of 2011.

So instead of an abstract list, this is the stuff the got played. Obviously, you should learn more than these, but it is pretty good representative sampling. Some tunes get called for a while, then don't, and then there are ones that ALWAYS get called. Stuff like Beatrice, I Hear A Rhapsody and Ishfahan are extra credit.

10/22 Owl & Thistle
Confirmation
Green Dolphin Street
Minority
Stardust
Jitterbug Waltz
Bittersweet
What Is This Thing Called Love
Blues Tune
Concentrate on You

11/01 Owl & Thistle
Night and Day
Blue Monk
Recordame
Oleo
Confirmation
Teach Me Tonight
Alone Together
Have You Met Miss Jones

11/15 Owl & Thistle
Caravan
Invitation
Bemsha Swing
Gone With The Wind
How Insensitive (6/8 feel)

11/22 Owl & Thistle
Solar
Bye Bye Blackbird
Corcovado
There Will Never Be Another You
Lover Man
Yes Or No

11/28 Pirattis Craft Bar
Footprints
St. Thomas
Have You Met Miss Jones (7/4)
Feeling Good
All The Things You Are
Girl From Ipanema
Softly As A Morning Sunrise
Dindi
Bye Bye Blackbird
Recordame

11/29 Owl & Thistle
There is No Greater Love
Nothing Personal (G minor Blues)
Ishfahan
Green Dolphin Street
Inner Urge
I Remember You

12/06 Owl And Thistle
Nardis
What Is This Thing Called Love
Nothing Personal
Invitation
Seven Steps To Heaven
Well You Needn't
Passion Dance
Gingerbread Man

Other Tunes (Not sure when these were called but I remember them being played)
LadyBird
Freedie Freeloader
Beatrice
Blue Bossa
Red Clay
I Hear A Rhapsody
This I Dig Of You
One Note Samba
Song For My Father

All the bass players who are the house players at these sessions (and they are all monsters) don't ever read. Ever. I mean, they are capable of reading music, sure, but they do not have music in front of them when they are playing. The tune gets called, they play it, because they know it. No real books/charts in sight. It is extremely rare, usually only in the case of a singer bringing an arrangement in, do these guys have music in front of them.