[2026] Recommended Jazz Tracks to Enjoy in Summer: From the Latest Hits to Timeless Classics

Swimming in the SkyKinga Glyk

Swimming in the Sky

Let me introduce an instrumental track that highlights the expressive playing of bassist Kinga Głyk, who has built her own musical universe around a fusion of jazz and funk.

Produced by Michael League of Snarky Puppy, the piece features colorful layers of Aerophone and keyboards, while Kinga’s bass lines remain both melodic and rhythmic.

A spacious, dreamlike atmosphere unfolds, inviting listeners into a soothing, weightless drift.

The track appears on the must-hear album “Real Life,” slated for release in January 2024.

It’s an ideal addition to your playlist—perfect for bringing a refreshing coolness to sweltering summer days.

Sweet Honey BeeLee Morgan

Sweet Honey Bee

The great pianist Duke Pearson composed the classic “Sweet Honey Bee.” It blends a sultry heat with a cheerful vibe.

It feels like a tune that would fit a hard‑boiled novel.

Pearson’s own version is great, but this time I’m highlighting Lee Morgan’s take, which leans even grittier.

It might be fun to compare the two versions and hear the differences.

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The Girl From IpanemaStan Getz & Joao Gilberto

The Girl From Ipanema

Opening with a light, breezy guitar that evokes the gentle winds of Brazil, this piece is one of the most famous tracks on the collaborative album Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and João Gilberto.

Its romantic theme—yearning for the beautiful girl from Ipanema—resonates sweetly and poignantly through João Gilberto’s whisper-like Portuguese and Astrud Gilberto’s English vocals.

The recording won Record of the Year at the 7th Annual Grammy Awards in 1965 and was performed at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Stan Getz’s cool, lustrous saxophone solo perfectly complements the languid yet stylish atmosphere born from the fusion of jazz and bossa nova.

It’s a classic you’ll want to relax with on a leisurely afternoon.

The Things We Did Last SummerDean Martin

The Things We Did Last Summer By Dean Martin

Composed in 1946 with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Jule Styne, this song is known in Japanese as “Omoide no Natsu” or “Sugishi Hi no Natsu no Omoide” (“Memories of Summer” or “Memories of Summers Past”).

While the Cahn & Styne songwriting team is famous for providing theme songs for films starring Frank Sinatra, this particular song was created independently of any film or musical.

You’d Be So Nice to Come Home ToHelen Merrill with Clifford Brown

Helen Merrill with Clifford Brown / You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To

It’s a song written and composed by Cole Porter, used in the 1943 film “Something to Shout About.” Its Japanese title is “Kaette Kuretara Ureshii wa” (“I’d Be So Happy If You Came Back”).

This song has also become one of the signature numbers of Helen Merrill, who is known as the “Sigh of New York.”

Stormy WeatherLena Horne

Lena Horne “Stormy Weather” 1967

Ethel Waters sang it as an inserted song in the revue Cotton Club Parade.

The composer, Harold Arlen, also recorded it himself.

In the 1943 film of the same name, Lena Horne sang it, and it became a big hit.

Its Japanese title is “Are Moyō” (literally “stormy weather”), known in English as “Stormy Weather.”

Mack The KnifeLouis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong sings “Mack the Knife”

This jazz classic by Louis Armstrong, whose husky vocal work and stylish sound aesthetic reinforce his universal artistic appeal.

With its overwhelming popularity and easy listenability, it’s an uplifting piece that’s perfect for summer.