Take 5: The Best Jazz Sheet Music

Take 5 is the perfect place to find the best jazz sheet music. Our wide selection of genres and artists make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Best Jazz Sheet Music

“Take the ‘A’ Train” by Duke Ellington

“Take the ‘A’ Train” is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn that was first recorded in 1941. The song is one of the most recorded jazz compositions of all time, with over 1,600 versions by other artists. The song is considered to be the signature tune of the Ellington orchestra.

“All of Me” by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons

One of the most popular and well-known jazz standards, “All of Me” was written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons in 1931. The song has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Bublé. The melody is catchy and easy to remember, making it a great choice for beginning jazz musicians. For intermediate and advanced players, there are plenty of opportunities to add your own embellishments and interpretation to the melody.

“Autumn Leaves” by Joseph Kosma

One of the most well-known and beloved jazz standards, “Autumn Leaves” was originally composed by French composer Joseph Kosma in 1945. The song was popularized by American saxophonist Paul Desmond, who recorded it with the Dave Brubeck Quartet on their landmark album Time Out.

“Autumn Leaves” is a beautifully melodic song that has been covered by many artists over the years. It features a catchy main theme that is interspersed with solo sections for each instrument. The melody is relatively simple, but it is the perfect vehicle for improvisation.

Jazz singer Billie Holiday famously recorded “Autumn Leaves” in 1958. Her rendition features a slow and bluesy arrangement that highlights her signature style.Check out our list of 10 essential Billie Holiday recordings for more of her classic songs.

“Fly Me to the Moon” by Bart Howard

One of the most popular jazz standards of all time, “Fly Me to the Moon” was originally composed by Bart Howard in 1954. It wasn’t until 1962 that the song gained widespread popularity when it was recorded by Frank Sinatra. Since then, it has been recorded by countless other artists including Michael Bublé, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole.

If you’re looking for the perfect jazz standard to add to your repertoire, “Fly Me to the Moon” is a great choice. The melody is both catchy and memorable, and the lyrics are romantic and ideal for slow dancing. The chord progression is also relatively simple, making it an ideal song for beginner Jazz musicians.

“The Girl from Ipanema” by Antonio Carlos Jobim

“The Girl from Ipanema” is a 1964 bossa nova song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. English lyrics were written later by Norman Gimbel. The song was first recorded in 1962 by Pery Ribeiro. It became a worldwide hit in early 1964 in a recording by Stan Getz and João Gilberto featuring singer Astrud Gilberto.

Getz’s recording won the 1965 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Jazz Performance Soloist. In 2004, it was voted 22nd on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. In 2009, the song was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame. Jobim composed “The Girl from Ipanema” in 1962, inspired after seeing Heloísa Ene merely walking “tall and beautiful” down Avenida Atlântica in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro.