The Best Jazz Music Songs of All Time
Contents
Jazz is a genre of music that is often misunderstood. It is often seen as too complex or difficult to appreciate. However, there are many great jazz songs that are accessible to everyone. This list contains some of the best jazz songs of all time.
Introduction
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as “America’s classical music”. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression. It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African-American and European-American musical parentage with a mutual influence between them.
A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
In February of 1965, saxophonist John Coltrane and his Classic Quartet—pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones—entered Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey to record A Love Supreme. The album would become one of the most revered recordings in the history of jazz, and indeed all of music.
A Love Supreme is a four-part suite, with each section representing a different stage of Coltrane’s spiritual journey. “Acknowledgement” is a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of music; “Resolution” is a resolve to use that gift for good; “Pursuance” is a acknowledgement of the challenges that must be faced; and finally “Psalm” is a celebration of transcendence.
Though each section is beautiful in its own right, it is the opening “Acknowledgement” that has come to be seen as the centerpiece of the work. It begins with a simple arpeggio from McCoy Tyner that sets the stage for one of John Coltrane’s most iconic solos. This solo is a perfect example of Coltrane’s style at its finest: beautiful phrasing, masterful control of tone and dynamics, and an unerring sense of melody.
So What, Miles Davis
“So What” is a jazz composition by Miles Davis first recorded on the 1959 Miles Davis and the Jazz Gurus album. It is the first track on the album and featured on most compilations of Davis’ work. The melody is written by Gil Evans, but there is some dispute as to whether Evans or Davis wrote the original harmony. The piece is in AABA form and is 66 measures long.
The recording features John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Ernie Royal on trumpet. Miles Davis plays trumpet throughout the piece, except for a short solo in the second A section. Evans’ solo spans the entire B section, while Coltrane’s begins in the second half of the B section and continues into the third A section. Chambers takes a solo in the third A section and Cobb solos throughout the piece. “So What” has been described as “modal jazz at its finest”, with its use of space and economy of melodic ideas.
Blue in Green, Miles Davis
Miles Davis’ “Blue in Green” is a jazz standard composed by pianist Bill Evans. It was first performed by the Miles Davis Quintet on the 1959 album Kind of Blue. The tune has been recorded by many artists, including Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, and Brad Mehldau.
“Blue in Green” is a slow ballad written in the key of F minor. The melody is based on two chords: Fm9 and Eb6/9. The chord progression of “Blue in Green” has been used in numerous jazz standards, including “Autumn Leaves”, “Someday My Prince Will Come”, and “My Funny Valentine”.
Take Five, Dave Brubeck
“Take Five” is a jazz composition written by saxophonist Paul Desmond and originally recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet on its album Time Out in 1959. It is considered one of the band’s signature pieces and one of the most popular jazz standards of all time. The tune is recognized by its distinctive 5/4 time signature, which gives it a “definite catchy quality”.
The song was recorded on July 1, 1959, at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio in New York City. It was released as a single from the album, with “Blue Rondo à la Turk” as the B-side, and became a surprise hit, reaching No. 25 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1961. It was the first jazz single to sell over a million copies.
The composition has been used in numerous film and television soundtracks, including Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Truth About Charlie (2002), Elf (2003), I Love You, Man (2009), We’re the Millers (2013), and The Goldbergs (2016).
Giant Steps, John Coltrane
Giant Steps, John Coltrane – This song is a perfect example of the type of songs that made John Coltrane one of the most important jazz musicians of all time. The complex harmonies and brilliant solos are a testimony to his genius.
My Favorite Things, John Coltrane
My Favorite Things is a jazz standard written by Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1959. The song was made popular by John Coltrane’s 1960 recording, which appeared on his album My Favorite Things.
The Coltrane recording is considered one of the greatest jazz recordings of all time. It is notable for its use of modal jazz, bossa nova rhythms, and its extended improvised solos. The solos were later transcribed and published in The John Coltrane Collection.
The tune has been recorded by many other artists, including Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Ahmad Jamal, McCoy Tyner, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, andDigable Planets.
Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” is considered by many to be the best jazz album of all time. Recorded in 1959, the album features some of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, including John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Bill Evans. The album is notable for its use of modal jazz, a type of jazz that uses scales instead of chord progressions as a basis for improvisation.
In a Sentimental Mood, Duke Ellington
In a Sentimental Mood is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington. One of his best-known and most-recorded ballads, it became a standard. The tune features an opening solo by alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, which is often considered one of the best alto saxophone solos in all of jazz.
Body and Soul, Coleman Hawkins
“Body and Soul” is a popular song and jazz standard written in 1930 with lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton, and music by Johnny Green.
The song was published in 1930. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. Coleman Hawkins’s 1939 recording was inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2003.
The song has been recorded by many artists, including: Coleman Hawkins (1939), John Coltrane (1962), Billie Holiday (1933), Lester Young (1944), Ella Fitzgerald (1956), Sarah Vaughan (1957), Bill Evans (1962), Wes Montgomery (1965), Oscar Peterson (1966), McCoy Tyner (1967), Stanley Turrentine (1970), Woody Herman (1972),”
