List of 1940s jazz standards explained
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 tunes written in the 1940s that are considered standards by at least one major fake book publication or reference work.
The swing era lasted until the mid-1940s, and produced popular tunes such as Duke Ellington's "Cotton Tail" (1940) and Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train" (1941). When the big bands struggled to keep going during World War II, a shift was happening in jazz in favor of smaller groups. Some swing era musicians, like Louis Jordan, later found popularity in a new kind of music, called "rhythm and blues", that would evolve into rock and roll in the 1950s.[1]
Bebop emerged in the early 1940s, led by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and others. It appealed to a more specialized audience than earlier forms of jazz, with sophisticated harmonies, fast tempos, and often virtuoso musicianship. Bebop musicians often used 1930s standards, especially those from Broadway musicals, as part of their repertoire.[2] Among standards written by bebop musicians are Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts" (1941) and "A Night in Tunisia" (1942), Parker's "Anthropology" (1946), "Yardbird Suite" (1946) and "Scrapple from the Apple" (1947), and Monk's "'Round Midnight" (1944), which is currently the most recorded jazz standard composed by a jazz musician.[3]
1940
1941
- "Aquarela do Brasil" (a.k.a. "Brazil")[21] [22] is a song composed by Ary Barroso with lyrics by S. K. Russell. This is originally a samba from Brazil, which made its way in America and was sung by Carmen Miranda as well as by Frank Sinatra in his album Come Fly with Me, with arrangements by Billy May for Capitol Records.
- "Blues in the Night" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the 1941 film of the same name. Jazz-oriented artists who recorded the song include Woody Herman, Jimmie Lunceford, Artie Shaw, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford (both solo and with lyricist Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers), Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, and Mel Torme, among many others.
- "Chelsea Bridge"[23] [24] is a song written by Billy Strayhorn.
- "Flamingo"[25] [26] is a song composed by Ted Grouya with lyrics by Edmund Anderson.
- "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)"[27] [28] [29] is a song composed by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.
- "I'll Remember April"[30] [31] is a song composed by Gene de Paul with lyrics by Patricia Johnston and Don Raye.
- "Jim"[32] [33] is a song with music by James Caesar Petrillo and Milton Samuels (who also used the pseudonym Edward Ross), lyrics by Nelson Shawn. Jazz-oriented artists who recorded the song include Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Shore, Billy Holiday, Etta James, and Aretha Franklin.
- "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'"[34] is a song composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, with lyrics by Lee Gaines.
- "Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)"[35] [36] [37] is a song composed by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Lee Gaines.
- "Salt Peanuts"[38] [39] is a jazz composition by Kenny Clarke and Dizzy Gillespie.
- "Take the 'A' Train"[40] [41] is a song written by Billy Strayhorn.
- "Why Don't You Do Right?"[42] is a blues song by Kansas Joe McCoy. Originally titled "The Weed Smoker's Dream", McCoy rewrote the lyrics for Lil Green, who recorded it with Big Bill Broonzy in 1941. Peggy Lee recorded a hit version with Benny Goodman in 1945; this version was performed in Who Framed Roger Rabbit by Jessica Rabbit at the Ink and Paint Club.
- "You Don't Know What Love Is"[43] [44] is a song written by Gene De Paul and Don Raye.
“I Hear A Rhapsody” written by George Fragos, Jack Baker, and Dick Gasparre.
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
Bibliography
Reference works
- Book: Büchmann-Møller, Frank . Someone to Watch over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster . 2006 . University of Michigan Press . 0-472-11470-0 .
- Book: Crouch, Stanley . Considering Genius: Writings on Jazz . 2007 . Basic Books . 978-0-465-01512-2.
- Book: Herzhaft . Gérard . Harris . Paul . Debord . Brigitte . Haussler . Jerry . Mikofsky . Anton J. . Encyclopedia of the Blues . 1997 . University of Arkansas Press . 978-1-55728-452-5 .
Fake books
- Book: The New Real Book, Volume I. 1988. Sher Music. 0-9614701-4-3. Real Book#Other Real Books.
- Book: The New Real Book, Volume II . 1991 . Sher Music . 0-9614701-7-8.
- Book: The New Real Book, Volume III. 1995. Sher Music. 1-883217-30-X.
- Book: The Real Book, Volume I . 6th . 2004 . Hal Leonard . 0-634-06038-4. Real Book#History of the 'new' Real Book .
- Book: The Real Book, Volume II . 2nd . 2007 . Hal Leonard . 978-1-4234-2452-9.
- Book: The Real Book, Volume III . 2nd . 2006 . Hal Leonard . 0-634-06136-4.
- Book: The Real Jazz Book . Warner Bros . 978-91-85041-36-7.
- Book: The Real Vocal Book, Volume I . 2006 . Hal Leonard . 0-634-06080-5. Real Book#History of the 'new' Real Book .
Notes and References
- Web site: Jazz History (1940s) . JazzStandards.com . May 18, 2009.
- Web site: Jazz History: The Standards (1940s) . JazzStandards.com . May 18, 2009.
- Web site: 'Round Midnight . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- Web site: After Hours . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- Web site: All Too Soon . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 90.
- Web site: Cottontail . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- Web site: Do Nothin' till You Hear from Me . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 107.
- Web site: Don't Get Around Much Anymore . JazzStandards.com . April 29, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 122.
- Web site: How High the Moon . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 180.
- Web site: In a Mellotone . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 206.
- The New Real Book, Volume III, p. 170.
- Web site: Polka Dots and Moonbeams . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 318.
- Web site: You Stepped Out of a Dream . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The New Real Book, Volume III, p. 423.
- Web site: Brazil . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume III, p. 60.
- Web site: Chelsea Bridge . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 76.
- Web site: Flamingo . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The New Real Book, Volume II, p. 105.
- Web site: I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 187.
- The New Real Book, Volume III, p. 153
- Web site: I'll Remember April . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 197,
- Web site: Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Jim). 2022-02-20. www.jazzstandards.com.
- Book: The Real Book Vol. VI, p 218.
- Web site: Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin' . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- Web site: Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me) . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume III, p. 225.
- The New Real Book, Volume III, p. 194.
- Web site: Salt Peanuts . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 340.
- Web site: Take the "A" Train . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 398.
- The Real Book, Volume III, p. 447.
- Web site: You Don't Know What Love Is . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 459.
- Web site: C Jam Blues . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 74
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 132.
- Web site: Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?) . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 255.
- Web site: Night in Tunisia . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 302.
- Web site: Perdido . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 311.
- The New Real Book, Volume II, p. 287.
- Web site: Skylark . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume III, p. 356.
- Web site: There Will Never Be Another You . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 407.
- Web site: Things Ain't What They Used to Be . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume III, p. 401
- Web site: I Wish You Love . JazzStandards.com . February 17, 2023.
- Web site: Woody'n You . JazzStandards.com . June 1, 2009.
- The Real Book, p. ?
- The New Real Book, Volume II, p. 436.
- Book: Visser, Joop . The Woody Herman Story liner notes. Joop Visser . 2000 . Proper . Kent, England . 19–21 .
- Web site: Harlem Nocturne . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume III, p. 140.
- The New Real Book, Volume II, p. 127.
- The New Real Book, Volume III, p. 351.
- Web site: Star Eyes . Wilson . Jeremy . Tyle . Chris . McElrath . K.J. . JazzStandards.com . October 16, 2013.
- Web site: The Surrey with the Fringe on Top . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 393.
- Web site: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume III, p. 113.
- Web site: Groovin' High . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 166.
- Web site: I Fall in Love Too Easily . Burlingame . Sandra . JazzStandards.com . September 27, 2011.
- Web site: I Should Care . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 194.
- Web site: It Could Happen to You . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 204.
- Web site: Long Ago (And Far Away) . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 251.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 345.
- Web site: Well You Needn't . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 435.
- Web site: Billie's Bounce . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 44.
- Web site: Everything But You . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- Web site: Hot House . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- Web site: I'm Just a Lucky So and So . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- Web site: It Might as Well Be Spring . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 205
- Web site: Laura . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The New Real Book, Volume III, p. 212.
- Web site: Now's the Time . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 293.
- Web site: Since I Fell for You . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- Web site: I'll Close My Eyes . JazzStandards.com . May 5, 2022.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 178.
- Listed in New Real Book, Volume I.
- Listed in The Real Vocal Book.
- Web site: Angel Eyes . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 28.
- Web site: Anthropology . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 29.
- Web site: Come Rain or Come Shine . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 88.
- Web site: Confirmation . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 87.
- Web site: Day Dream . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume III, p. 91.
- The New Real Book, Volume III, p. 101.
- Web site: Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 108.
- Web site: If You Could See Me Now. JazzStandards.com. December 7, 2011.
- Web site: Nobody Else But Me. JazzStandards.com. February 11, 2012.
- Web site: Ornithology . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 317.
- Web site: Stella by Starlight . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 382.
- Web site: Tenderly . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 389.
- Web site: The Things We Did Last Summer . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 394.
- Web site: Yardbird Suite . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 433.
- Listed in The Real Jazz Book
- Web site: Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mortes) . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 39.
- Web site: But Beautiful . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 62.
- Web site: Donna Lee . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 123.
- Web site: In Walked Bud . JazzStandards.com . April 29, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 200.
- Web site: Lady Bird . JazzStandards.com . April 29, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 235.
- Web site: Nature Boy . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 284.
- Web site: On Green Dolphin Street . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The New Real Book, Volume III, p. 273.
- Book: Randel, Don Michael. The Harvard biographical dictionary of music. registration. February 2, 2012. 1996. Harvard University Press. 978-0-674-37299-3. 194.
- Book: Gioia, Ted. The History of Jazz. registration. February 2, 2012. May 9, 2011. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-539970-7. 214.
- Book: Yanow, Scott. Jazz: a regional exploration. February 2, 2012. 2005. Greenwood Publishing Group. 978-0-313-32871-8. 133.
- Web site: Scrapple from the Apple . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 351.
- Web site: Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Honeysuckle Rose) . Leppanen . Rick . JazzStandards.com . January 8, 2010.
- Web site: Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Detour Ahead). www.jazzstandards.com. 2018-06-25.
- Web site: Four Brothers . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume II, p. 138.
- Web site: The Night Has a Thousand Eyes . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 301.
- Web site: Lush Life . JazzStandards.com . February 20, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 258.
- Web site: My Foolish Heart . JazzStandards.com . April 29, 2009.
- The Real Book, Volume I, p. 286.