Jazz standards are musical compositions that are widely known, performed and recorded by jazz artists as part of the genre's musical repertoire. This list includes compositions written before 1920 that are considered standards by at least one major fake book publication or reference work. Some of the tunes listed were instant hits and quickly became well-known standards, while others were popularized later. The time of the most influential recordings of a song, where appropriate, is indicated on the list.
From its conception at the change of the twentieth century, jazz was music intended for dancing. This influenced the choice of material played by early jazz groups: King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, New Orleans Rhythm Kings and others included many Tin Pan Alleypopular songs in their repertoire, and record companies often used their power to dictate which songs were to be recorded by their artists. Certain songs were pushed by recording executives and therefore quickly achieved standard status; this started with the first jazz recordings in 1917, when the Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded "Darktown Strutters' Ball" and "Indiana".[1] Originally simply called "jazz", the music of early jazz bands is today often referred to as "Dixieland" or "New Orleans jazz", to distinguish it from more recent subgenres.[2]
"Careless Love". Traditional song of unknown origin, copyrighted by W. C. Handy in 1921.[6] Handy published his version with modified lyrics titled "Loveless Love".
"St. James Infirmary Blues" is an American blues song and jazz standard of uncertain origin. Louis Armstrong made the song famous in his 1928 recording on which Don Redman was credited as composer; later releases gave the name Joe Primrose, a pseudonym of Irving Mills. Other jazz-oriented versions include a 1941 recording by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra, with Hot Lips Page providing vocals.
"When the Saints Go Marching In". Traditional gospel hymn possibly originating in nineteenth-century New Orleans as a funeral march.[7] The song was popularized in 1938 by Louis Armstrong, who recorded it more than 40 times during his career.[8] The song is often called "The Saints".[8] It is requested notoriously often in performances of Dixieland bands, and sometimes requests for it even have a higher price than normal requests.[8]
1901 – "High Society". Composition by Porter Steele. Originally written as a march and published as a rag, the song soon became one of the most popular tunes of the early New Orleans jazz repertoire.[9] A counterpoint to the melody was arranged by Robert Recker for the piccolo in 1901 and made famous by clarinetist Alphonse Picou.[10] The complex countermelody was often used in auditions for brass band clarinet players.[9][11]King Oliver's Jazz Band popularized the tune in 1923, and other influential recordings were made by Abe Lyman and His Orchestra in 1932 and by Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen in 1939.[12]
1902 – "Bill Bailey". Ragtime song written by Hughie Cannon. It continued the story of an earlier coon song, "Ain't Dat a Shame" by Walter Wilson and John Queen.[13] The song was introduced by Queen in vaudeville and first recorded by Arthur Collins in 1902.[14] Its popularity inspired a host of "Bill Bailey" songs, including Cannon's own "He Done Me Wrong", which used a variation of the melody from "Frankie and Johnny".[15][14] Originally titled "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?", the song is also known as "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey".[16]
1910 – "Some of These Days".[20] Popular song by Shelton Brooks. It was popularized by vaudeville performer Sophie Tucker, who used it as her theme song.[21] Tucker recorded the song six times, and sang it in the films Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) and Follow the Boys (1944). Brooks's distinctively modern composition was not derived from any of the popular song elements of the time, and the song is considered one of the earliest American pop standards.[21][22]
1911 – "Alexander's Ragtime Band".[23] Popular song by Irving Berlin. Introduced by vaudeville performer Emma Carus in Chicago,[24] it was Berlin's first international hit and the biggest Tin Pan Alley hit of the time.[25] Although the music contained few ragtime elements, it started a ragtime craze and introduced the vernacular as a valid form of expression in song lyrics.[25] The melody was allegedly copied from a Scott Joplin composition.[26]
1912 – "The Memphis Blues".[27] Blues composition by W. C. Handy with lyrics by George A. Norton. It is one of the earliest printed blues compositions, and two of its three sections are in the twelve-bar blues form.[28] The song possibly originated from a campaign tune for Memphis politician Edward Crump titled "Mr. Crump".[29][30] Handy claimed composer credit for "Mr. Crump", but some Memphis musicians claimed it was actually written by Handy's clarinetist, Paul Wyer.[31]
1914 – "St. Louis Blues".[35] Blues composition by W. C. Handy. It is the most widely performed blues song and the most popular jazz standard written before the 1920s.[36][37] It was the most recorded jazz standard for over 20 years.[37] The song was initially only moderately successful, but later became a big hit when vaudeville and revue performers started singing it in their shows.[38] The Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded the first jazz version in 1921; other notable jazz recordings include Louis Armstrong with blues singer Bessie Smith in 1925 and virtuoso pianist Art Tatum in 1933.[37] The composition combines the traditional twelve-bar blues form with sections in tango rhythm,[39] and its success earned Handy the title "Father of the Blues".[40] Called the "jazzman's Hamlet",[41] it has inspired the Foxtrot dance step[42] and the name of the St. Louis hockey team.
1915 – "I Ain't Got Nobody".[52][53] Song composed by Spencer Williams with lyrics by Roger Graham. Charles Warfield, composer of "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", has disputed the song's authorship, asserting that he had composed it.[54] Warfield copyrighted the song as "I Ain't Got Nobody and Nobody Cares for Me" with David Young and Marie Lucas in 1914.[55][56] It was introduced by Bert Williams in vaudeville, where it was also a popular number for Sophie Tucker.[57] The first of many hit records was by Marion Harris in 1917; Harris recorded the song several times afterwards.[56][58] The 1939 film Paris Honeymoon with Bing Crosby revived the song's success, and Louis Prima recorded an influential arrangement of it in 1944, paired with "Just a Gigolo".[57]
1915 – "Weary Blues".[59] Ragtime number by Artie Matthews; the published lyrics by George Cates and Mort Greene are almost never performed. It was written for a competition publisher John Stark organized to compete with the success of W. C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues", and quickly became a hit.[60] The first recording was by the Louisiana Five in 1919, and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings recorded their version in 1923.[61] It was the first jazz number to be played in the White House.[62] Originally titled "The Pastime Rag #8",[62] the song is also known as "Shake It and Break It".[63]
1916 – "Beale Street Blues".[64] Blues song by W. C. Handy. Written about the lively black neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee, the Beale Street,[65] it was first recorded by Prince's Band in 1917.[66]Earl Fuller's 1917 hit recording started Handy's commercial success as a composer, earning him more money in royalties than he had ever seen in one place.[67]Gilda Gray's performance in the Broadway musical Gaieties of 1919 caused a sensation in Broadway circles previously unexposed to blues music.[68] The song later became a signature tune of trombonist Jack Teagarden.[69]
1917 – "Darktown Strutters' Ball".[74] Popular song by Shelton Brooks. It was introduced by the vaudeville trio of Benny Fields, Benny Davis and Jack Salisbury.[75] The Original Dixieland Jass Band's instrumental recording from 1917 (coupled with "Indiana" from the same session) is one of the earliest recorded jazz performances.[76][77] It became an instant hit, selling over a million copies.[78] Sheet music sales for the song exceeded three million.[79] The song is also known as "At the Darktown Strutters' Ball" or "Strutters' Ball".
1917 – "Rose Room".[83] Jazz song composed by Art Hickman with lyrics by Harry Williams.[84] Also known as "In Sunny Roseland", the tune is usually played as an instrumental because of its flowery lyrics.[85] First recorded by Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra in 1918, it was popularized by Duke Ellington in 1932; Ellington later used the tune's chord progression for his 1939 composition "In a Mellow Tone".[85]Charlie Christian used the song as his "audition" piece for the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1939, appearing uninvited at a gig and playing a 45-minute rendition of the song with the band.[86]
1917 – "Tiger Rag". Ragtime composition first recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917.[87] The music was credited to band members Eddie Edwards, Nick La Rocca, Henry Ragas, Tony Sbarbaro and Larry Shields, and lyrics to Harry Da Costa; however, several New Orleans musicians claimed that the tune had already existed for years before the ODJB's recording.[87]Jelly Roll Morton claimed in an interview that he had composed it.[87] The music was possibly based on an old French quadrille.[88][89]Louis Armstrong recorded the tune in 1930, and based his 1927 composition "Hotter Than That" on its chord progression. Art Tatum made an influential piano recording of the tune in 1932.[87] Immediately popular after its initial release, the tune fell out of fashion during the swing era, and is rarely performed by jazz musicians today.[87]
1918 – "Clarinet Marmalade"'. Dixieland composition by Larry Shields of the Original Dixieland Jass Band. It is described as a "small-combo ensemble piece with strong links to the march tradition".[95] It was influential on a number of jazz musicians in the 1920s, later popularized by Fletcher Henderson in 1926 and Frankie Trumbauer in 1927 and introduced to many white groups in the late 1920s. The original is dominated by Larry Shields's solo on clarinet, accompanied by Henry Ragas.[96][97] In 1919, the song became a staple of the touring James Reese Europe band.[95]
1918 – "Ja-Da".[98] Popular song by Bob Carleton. It was written for singer Cliff Edwards, who became a big name in vaudeville due to the song's popularity.[99]Arthur Fields made a hit recording in of it in 1918.[100] The song was written as a parody of popular Asian-influenced songs of the early twentieth century.[101]Thelonious Monk's unreleased 1952 composition "Sixteen" was based on the song's chord progression, also similar to Sonny Rollins's 1954 tune "Doxy".[102] The song is also known as "Ja Da, Ja Da, Jing Jing Jing!".[103]
1919 – "Baby Won't You Please Come Home". Blues song written by Charles Warfield and co-credited to publisher Clarence Williams.[54] Williams published the sheet music in 1923, and the same year Bessie Smith recorded the first hit version.[54] The song is often played as a ballad, although the sheet music indicates "medium bounce tempo".[104] Williams himself recorded the song in 1928 with his Blue Five.[54]Jo Stafford and Nat King Cole sang it in the 1945 film That's the Spirit.[105]
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Evans, David (2008). Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues. University of Illinois Press. ISBN978-0-252-07448-6.
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Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott Joplin, James Scott and Joseph Lamb. Ragtime pieces are typically composed for and performed on piano, though the genre has been adapted for a variety of instruments and styles.
Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Dubbed the "King of Ragtime", he composed more than 40 ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became the genre's first and most influential hit, later being recognized as the quintessential rag. Joplin considered ragtime to be a form of classical music meant to be played in concert halls and largely disdained the performance of ragtime as honky tonk music most common in saloons.
The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) was a Dixieland jazz band that made the first jazz recordings in early 1917. Their "Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz record ever issued. The group composed and recorded many jazz standards, the most famous being "Tiger Rag". In late 1917, the spelling of the band's name was changed to Original Dixieland Jazz Band.
William Christopher Handy was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. He was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musicians who played the distinctively American blues music, Handy did not create the blues genre but was the first to publish music in the blues form, thereby taking the blues from a regional music style with a limited audience to a new level of popularity.
Joseph Russel Robinson was an American ragtime, dixieland, and blues pianist and composer. He was a member of the Original Dixieland Jass Band.
Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be standards changes over time. Songs included in major fake book publications and jazz reference works offer a rough guide to which songs are considered standards.
"The Saint Louis Blues" is a popular American song composed by W. C. Handy in the blues style and published in September 1914. It was one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song and remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians' repertoire. Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby, Bessie Smith, Eartha Kitt, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, Peanuts Hucko, and the Boston Pops Orchestra are among the artists who have recorded it. The song has been called "the jazzman's Hamlet". Composer William Grant Still arranged a version of the song in 1916 while working with Handy.
The "Maple Leaf Rag" is an early ragtime musical composition for piano composed by Scott Joplin. It was one of Joplin's early works, and became the model for ragtime compositions by subsequent composers. It is one of the most famous of all ragtime pieces. As a result, Joplin became dubbed the "King of Ragtime" by his contemporaries. The piece gave Joplin a steady if unspectacular income for the rest of his life.
Little is known about the exact origin of the music now known as the blues. No specific year can be cited as the origin of the blues, largely because the style evolved over a long period and existed in approaching its modern form before the term blues was introduced and before the style was thoroughly documented. Ethnomusicologist Gerhard Kubik traces the roots of many of the elements that were to develop into the blues back to the African continent, the "cradle of the blues". One important early mention of something closely resembling the blues comes from 1901, when an archaeologist in Mississippi described the songs of black workers which had lyrical themes and technical elements in common with the blues.
Henry Walter Ragas was a jazz pianist who was a member of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the first jazz band to record commercially.
"Dallas Blues", written by Hart Wand, is an early blues song, first published in 1912. It has been called the first true blues tune ever published. However, two other 12-bar blues had been published earlier: Anthony Maggio's "I Got the Blues" in 1908 and "Oh, You Beautiful Doll", a Tin Pan Alley song whose first verse is twelve-bar blues, in 1911. Also, two other songs with "Blues" in their titles were published in 1912: "Baby Seals Blues", a vaudeville tune written by Franklin "Baby" Seals, and "The Memphis Blues", written by W.C. Handy. Neither, however, were genuine blues songs.
"Darktown Strutters' Ball" is a popular song by Shelton Brooks, published in 1917. The song has been recorded many times and is considered a popular and jazz standard. There are many variations of the title, including "At the Darktown Strutters' Ball", "The Darktown Strutters' Ball", and just "Strutters' Ball".
"That's a Plenty" is a 1914 ragtime piano composition by Lew Pollack. Lyrics by Ray Gilbert were added decades later. Several popular vocal versions have been recorded, but it is more often performed as an instrumental.
"Margie", also known as "My Little Margie", is a 1920 popular song composed in collaboration by vaudeville performer and pianist Con Conrad and ragtime pianist J. Russel Robinson, a member of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Lyrics were written by Benny Davis, a vaudeville performer and songwriter. The song was introduced by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1920 as Victor 78, 18717-A, in a medley paired with "Singin' the Blues". The B side was "Palesteena". The ODJB recorded their instrumental version on December 1, 1920. Other popular versions in 1920-21 were by Gene Rodemich; Eddie Cantor; Ted Lewis; and Frank Crumit. The Rega Dance Orchestra recorded the song in October, 1920 for Okeh Records, 4211.
Charles Adams Prince was an American conductor, bandleader, pianist and organist known for conducting the Columbia Orchestra and, later, Prince's Band and Orchestra. He made his first recordings, as a pianist, in 1891 for the New York Phonograph Company. Later in the 1890s he worked as a musical director for Columbia Records. He also conducted the Columbia Orchestra and Columbia Band starting in 1904 as the successor of the cornetist Tom Clark.
"Livery Stable Blues" is a jazz composition copyrighted by Ray Lopez and Alcide Nunez in 1917. It was recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band on February 26, 1917, and, with the A side "Dixieland Jass Band One-Step" or "Dixie Jass Band One-Step", became widely acknowledged as the first jazz recording commercially released. It was recorded by the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York City at its studio at 46 West 38th Street on the 12th floor – the top floor.
Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band, fostered awareness of this new style of music.
The period from the end of the First World War until the start of the Depression in 1929 is known as the "Jazz Age". Jazz had become popular music in America, although older generations considered the music immoral and threatening to cultural values. Dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom were very popular during the period, and jazz bands typically consisted of seven to twelve musicians. Important orchestras in New York were led by Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman and Duke Ellington. Many New Orleans jazzmen had moved to Chicago during the late 1910s in search of employment; among others, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and Jelly Roll Morton recorded in the city. However, Chicago's importance as a center of jazz music started to diminish toward the end of the 1920s in favor of New York.
"At the Jazz Band Ball" is a 1917 jazz instrumental recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The instrumental is one of the earliest and most recorded jazz compositions. It is a jazz classic and a standard of the genre.
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