Top 5 Cafe Jazz Piano Sheet Music Picks

In this blog post, we’ll be sharing our top 5 picks for cafe jazz piano sheet music. If you’re looking for some new music to add to your repertoire, be sure to check out these selections!

Best Overall: “Autumn Leaves” by Joseph Kosma

“Autumn Leaves” is a jazz standard composed by Joseph Kosma with lyrics by Jacques Prévert and English lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Introduced in the 1946 film Les portes de la nuit, the song is one of the most recorded jazz standards of all time.

One of the most popular versions of “Autumn Leaves” was recorded by pianist Erroll Garner in 1958. His version, which featured an extended piano solo, became a jazz standard and has been recorded by many other artists.

If you’re looking for a classic jazz piano song to add to your repertoire, “Autumn Leaves” is a great choice.

Best for Beginners: “Fly Me to the Moon” by Bart Howard

This standard was made famous by Frank Sinatra and continues to be a favorite of many singers today. The reason it makes our list of best jazz piano sheet music for beginners is because of its simple, singable melody and basic chord structure. The song is in the key of F major which has only one flat (Bb). This makes it a great choice for those just starting out on the piano.

Best for Intermediates: “My Funny Valentine” by Richard Rodgers

This song was written for the Rodgers and Hart musical “Babes in Arms,” which opened on Broadway in 1937. The first recording of “My Funny Valentine” was by Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys that same year.

This is one of the most recorded jazz standards, with notable versions by Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan. It’s a beautiful ballad that any intermediate jazz pianist should learn.

Best for Advanced Players: “Take the ‘A’ Train” by Billy Strayhorn

“Take the ‘A’ Train” is a jazz standard composed by Billy Strayhorn that was first recorded in 1941 by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. The tune became the signature piece of Ellington’s orchestra and one of the most popular jazz compositions of all time.

While “Take the ‘A’ Train” is often associated with Ellington, it was actually composed by his collaborator Billy Strayhorn. Strayhorn was an immensely talented pianist, composer, and arranger, and he played a major role in shaping the sound of the Ellington orchestra.

“Take the ‘A’ Train” is a complex tune with a lot of moving parts, making it a challenge for even advanced players. But there’s something special about this tune that makes it well worth the effort. For many jazz musicians, “Take the ‘A’ Train” is the ultimate test of their skills.

Best for Jazz Lovers: “All of Me” by Gerald Marks

“All of Me” is a popular song originally released in 1931 by Seymour Simons and Gerald Marks. The song has been recorded by many artists over the years, but our favorite version is by the late, great jazz pianist Bill Evans. In Evans’ hands, “All of Me” becomes a beautiful ballad that any jazz lover would enjoy playing.