[2026] Recommended Jazz Tracks to Enjoy in Summer: From the Latest Hits to Timeless Classics
In your everyday playlists, are there any jazz numbers you find yourself wanting to hear as the hot summer approaches?
Whether it’s a soothing melody that eases the muggy heat or a passionate groove that makes summer even more exciting, jazz offers many benefits in the warmer months.
This time, under the theme of “Jazz Classics to Listen to in Summer,” we researched and curated a wide-ranging selection of tracks.
Focusing on the latest jazz numbers while also including well-known standards, we’re bringing you a diverse lineup spanning fusion, Latin jazz, and rare groove!
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[2026] Recommended Jazz Tracks to Listen to in Summer: From the Latest Hits to Timeless Classics (71–80)
Body Language (En La Carretera) ft. Sasha KeableEzra Collective
This ambitious work by a five-piece group at the forefront of London’s emerging jazz scene masterfully blends Latin American dance rhythms with contemporary soul music.
Featuring singer-songwriter Sasha Keable, who has roots in both the UK and Colombia, the track—released in February 2025—vividly captures the energy of London, where multiple cultures intersect.
The band earned high acclaim for their September 2024 album, “Dance, No One’s Watching,” and they are set to make their debut at Fuji Rock Festival in July 2025.
It’s a track that will delight both jazz purists and dance music fans alike.
Thema From a Summer PlaceAndy Williams
Originally, it was the theme music for the 1959 film “A Summer Place” (Japanese title: “Hishochi no Dekigoto”).
In 1960, it was covered by Percy Faith and became a huge hit.
The film’s theme music won a Grammy in 1961.
It seems this was the first time a movie theme song won a Grammy.
Sweet Georgia BrownAnita O’Day
If you’re a jazz enthusiast, chances are the music documentary Jazz on a Summer’s Day, which captures the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, ranks among your favorite music films.
Even among the many historic performances in the film, Anita O’Day’s rendition of “Sweet Georgia Brown,” by one of the quintessential female jazz vocalists, is especially famous as an unforgettable scene.
Anita’s impeccably stylish fashion and her breathtaking vocals have a magnetism that makes you want to watch them over and over.
“Sweet Georgia Brown” is a jazz standard known in many arrangements, but since our theme here is summer jazz, I hope you’ll enjoy it together with the footage from Jazz on a Summer’s Day!
Mapinguari (Encantado da Mata)Amaro Freitas
From the 2024 release by Brazil’s rising jazz star Amaro Freitas, we present a track that depicts the Amazon’s mysterious being, the “Mapinguari.” With thunderous drums and gleaming piano phrases, this piece evokes the breathing of the forest’s creatures.
The album “Y’Y,” born from wisdom gained through交流 with Indigenous peoples, is a standout work imbued with respect for nature and a note of warning.
These songs, which vividly portray the Amazon’s mythic world, may refresh mind and body weary from the heat.
Surrender yourself to the sound infused with deep spirituality, and something buried deep within each listener’s heart may be stirred.
Why not turn a summer night into a trip to the enigmatic forests of the Amazon?
Moanin’Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Here is the piece composed by Bobby Timmons that appears as the first track on jazz drummer Art Blakey’s 1958 album.
Classified as funky jazz, the song features an impressive intro influenced by gospel call-and-response, and its fiery performance seems a perfect fit for the sweltering days of summer.
What Is This Thing Called Love?Art Pepper
This song was composed by Cole Porter in 1929 for the musical “Wake Up and Dream,” and it has been performed by many artists as a jazz standard.
Art Pepper, who performs this piece, was active on the U.S.
West Coast and was associated with what was called cool jazz.
Despite the cool tone, his performances are filled with passion.
Speak LowBillie Holiday
In Kurt Weill’s 1943 stage play One Touch of Venus, the song was performed by Mary Martin.
The play tells the story of a Venus statue coming to life and falling in love, with the song conveying the poignancy of never knowing when she might turn back into stone.
It was adapted into a film in 1948, in which Ava Gardner performed the song.