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[Western Jazz] A Special Feature on Standard Numbers You’ve Heard at Least Once

When you hear the term “jazz standards,” what songs come to mind?

In fact, many of the tunes you’ve probably heard at least once in TV commercials or as background music in department stores are jazz standards.

This time, with “standards” as our theme—beloved for years as jazz music—we’ll introduce a wide range of classics, from songs originally written for films that went on to be covered repeatedly by jazz artists, to numbers composed by jazz musicians themselves.

We’ll present a broad lineup spanning everything from famous prewar pieces and postwar modern jazz to notable ’70s fusion tracks and even popular music from the ’80s.

[Western Jazz] A Special Feature on Standard Numbers You’ve Probably Heard at Least Once (21–30)

St. ThomasSonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins – St. Thomas (Official Audio) from Saxophone Colossus
St. ThomasSonny Rollins

A captivating piece born from the fusion of calypso rhythms and jazz.

Based on a lullaby that Sonny Rollins’s mother sang to him in his childhood, this tune beautifully blends the cheerful atmosphere of the Caribbean with the freedom of improvisation.

Recorded on June 22, 1956, in New Jersey, it was included on the album “Saxophone Colossus” and secured its place as a jazz standard.

Its light, catchy melody and powerful saxophone tone lift listeners’ spirits and set their hearts dancing.

Perfect for relieving stress, refreshing your mood, or rediscovering the charm of jazz.

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Summer TimeBillie Holiday

George Gershwin, who worked across a wide range of genres—from opera and musicals to film scores, orchestral works, and concertos—was active in both popular and classical music and is even called a composer who helped create American music.

Among the many masterpieces he produced, let’s look at the timeless standard “Summertime,” a song that continues to be covered across all musical genres, not only jazz but also soul and pop.

Composed as an aria for the groundbreaking 1935 opera Porgy and Bess—remarkable at the time for its all-Black cast—the piece is sung by the heroine as a lullaby within the story.

Although it has inspired an enormous number of cover versions, the first to achieve widespread popular success is said to be the rendition sung in 1936 by the legendary female jazz singer Billie Holiday.

Among covers by white artists, the version performed by the equally legendary rock singer Janis Joplin is especially famous.

Despite being a song in which the lyrics play a crucial role, countless jazz musicians have also performed it as an instrumental, which shows how its universal, superb melody continues to captivate the hearts of musicians and listeners alike.

KOH-1
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[Western Jazz] A Special Feature on Standard Numbers You’ve Heard at Least Once (31–40)

The Girl from IpanemaStan Getz & Joao Gilberto

“The Girl from Ipanema” Astrud Gilberto, João Gilberto and Stan Getz
The Girl from IpanemaStan Getz & Joao Gilberto

Stan Getz, who, together with Charlie Byrd, created the landmark 1962 release Jazz Samba that brought bossa nova elements into jazz music and sparked the bossa nova boom in the United States.

In 1964, he teamed up with renowned Brazilian bossa nova singer João Gilberto to release Getz/Gilberto, which became a major hit and earned high acclaim, including a Grammy Award.

The Girl from Ipanema, included on Getz/Gilberto and sung by João Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto, was also released as a single and became a hit; it is the most famous standard in the bossa nova genre and a piece loved by jazz musicians as well.

Composed in 1962 by Antônio Carlos Jobim, a leading figure in Brazilian music, with original Portuguese lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes—a poet who also wore many hats as a translator, diplomat, and journalist—the Getz and Gilberto version of The Girl from Ipanema mentioned above is said to be the most famous rendition worldwide.

Many jazz artists have continued to embrace the song since, so we recommend checking out the various interpretations!

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In conclusion

Listening to the classic songs featured in this article, gathered under the theme of jazz standards, you’ll probably realize that each one goes beyond the bounds of jazz to be “background music everyone has heard at least once.” We’ll continue to introduce standards that remain beloved by many, so please look forward to it!