# The Best Jazz Tunes and Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449 "2006-08-20T15:09:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/21 "2006-08-20T21:40:00Z")
Just one quick addition: “Green Dolphin Street”, by many artists. Used to play the shit out of it when I was playing tenor. And, of course, “Favorite Things” by 'Trane is a classic. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/22 "2006-08-20T21:51:21Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] Just one quick addition: “Green Dolphin Street”, by many artists. Used to play the shit out of it when I was playing tenor. And, of course, “Favorite Things” by 'Trane is a classic. [/QUOTE] Well said. Another Bronislau Kaper tune that gets a fair amount of play is _Invitation_. The movie of GDS just plain sucks, though. The tune is all that redeems it. Something I’ve been wanting to mention just to demonstrate that tunes don’t have to be all that complex to get some great stuff going, is the fairly simple _Comin’ Home Baby_ as played on Herbie Mann’s [_Live at the Village Gate_](http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1096676/a/At+The+Village+Gate.htm). That just kicks major ass. The _Summertime_ on that same album is also fine. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/23 "2006-08-20T22:07:08Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] My Brubeck brag is that I saw the quartet (Joe Morello and Gene Wright version) in concert in 1959 or 1960. Can’t be sure of the year. It was electrifying. [/QUOTE] I got to see him play for President Reagan in Moscow in 1988. Gene Wright happened to be in Moscow at the same time, so they reunited. Desmond was dead by then and Morello had gone blind, but Brubeck still sounded good. I was able to go meet him and talk to him after the concert. Man, I used to have all of his vinyl, including the “Japan” album. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/24 "2006-08-20T22:17:58Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] I got to see him play for President Reagan in Moscow in 1988. Gene Wright happened to be in Moscow at the same time, so they reunited. Desmond was dead by then and Morello had gone blind, but Brubeck still sounded good. I was able to go meet him and talk to him after the concert. Man, I used to have all of his vinyl, including the “Japan” album. [/QUOTE] My Brubeck vinyl collection is pretty big, too. I suspect arouns 20 (more or less). That Duets one I mentioned above may be the latest one. I never did manage to get all the old Fantasy things before he went with Columbia, but I may have all the Columbia things. Some of them have the grooves about gone. I was way into Brubeck for a long time. Do any of you remember the novelty thing (late 50’s most likely) about the mummy and the beatnik? The beatnik said something like, “Naw, man, I’m into Shearing, Brubeck and the MJQ.” That was me in those days, but I had yet to get into the MJQ. Never really did as much as Brubeck and Shearing. Horace Silver (both with the Messengers and not) was another main piano for me in that period. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/25 "2006-08-20T22:32:57Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] Man, I used to have all of his vinyl, including the “Japan” album. [/QUOTE] I still do. I just counted: 50 albums, and that isn’t everything he did. Come to think of it, I saw him in **Alaska.** Man, that had to have been 1980 - 81. _Forty Days_ is still the song I want to be listening to when I die. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/26 "2006-08-20T22:39:26Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I still do. I just counted: 50 albums, and that isn’t everything he did. Come to think of it, I saw him in **Alaska.** Man, that had to have been 1980 - 81. [/QUOTE] Wow. Who’s next on your list of “most albums by”? Or is Brubeck even the most? I have a bunch of: Mulligan Miles Bird Dizzy Getz Shearing Jazz Messengers Shelly Manne’s various groups (and I’m sure I’m leaving somebody out – this from memory – records in the basement) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/27 "2006-08-20T22:40:43Z")
If Louis Armstrong didn’t cut it, it ain’t in the runnin’. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/28 "2006-08-20T22:50:09Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Wow. Who’s next on your list of “most albums by”? Or is Brubeck even the most? [/QUOTE] I think Brubeck holds the record, so to speak. There are a number of artists in my collection where I own everything they’ve ever issued, but they don’t come close to Dave’s output. Most of the leaders in this group barely top 20. In the Jazz category, I think 2nd place is held by either Flora Purim or Cleo Laine. It helps to have been recording steadily since the 40’s. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/29 "2006-08-20T22:53:10Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I think Brubeck holds the record, so to speak. There are a number of artists in my collection where I own everything they’ve ever issued, but they don’t come close to Dave’s output. Most of the leaders in this group barely top 20. In the Jazz category, I think 2nd place is held by either Flora Purim or Cleo Laine. It helps to have been recording steadily since the 40’s. 😃 [/QUOTE] Flora Purim reminds me of Eumir Deodato and Airto Moreira, the brighter lights from the disco Dark Ages. Most of my records are instrumental. I’m familiar with Cleo but have none of her things. You into Eliane Elias at all? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/30 "2006-08-20T23:22:30Z")
Nope. Nothing against her, just never got around to getting any of her stuff. One of my favorites by Cleo is her collaboration with Ray Charles on [Porgy & Bess](http://store.acousticsounds.com/browse_detail.cfm?Title_ID=15505§ion=music). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/31 "2006-08-21T00:43:32Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I think Brubeck holds the record, so to speak. There are a number of artists in my collection where I own everything they’ve ever issued, but they don’t come close to Dave’s output. Most of the leaders in this group barely top 20. In the Jazz category, I think 2nd place is held by either Flora Purim or Cleo Laine. It helps to have been recording steadily since the 40’s. 😃 [/QUOTE] For albums that an artist issued, he probably does. For collections, etc., issued by everyone on earth, many others probably exceed him. I think Chet Baker albums must number in the hundreds. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/32 "2006-08-21T01:18:03Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] If Louis Armstrong didn’t cut it, it ain’t in the runnin’. [/QUOTE] You’re saying you think there’s been _nothing_ of any significance in jazz since Louis Armstrong? Man, I’ve lamented before the jazz community’s focus on old music at the expense of what’s being done now - but I think this takes the cake as far as ignorance of jazz history goes. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/33 "2006-08-21T04:46:11Z")
Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue from the Ellington at Newport album. ---
**Author:** ![Barely\_Adequate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Barely\_Adequate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barely_Adequate)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/34 "2006-08-21T08:36:16Z")
I can’t let this thread reach page 3 without any mention of “Goodbye, Pork Pie Hat” (Charlie Mingus) and “Whisper Not” (Benny Golson). And any discussion of Brubeck-Desmond that doesn’t include “Jazz at Oberlin” is woefully incomplete. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/35 "2006-08-21T12:17:24Z")
[QUOTE=Excalibre] You’re saying you think there’s been _nothing_ of any significance in jazz since Louis Armstrong? Man, I’ve lamented before the jazz community’s focus on old music at the expense of what’s being done now - but I think this takes the cake as far as ignorance of jazz history goes. [/QUOTE] I regard him as the **best** Jazz has ever offered. Which is the theme of this Thread. Please do not dismiss my taste in Jazz as “ignorance”–you are not offering an opinion, you are offering abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449/36 "2006-08-21T17:39:56Z")
When I read the OP, I started thinking about songs that several artists have done and have added their own touch to. I’ll offer up this one, not that I think it _the_ best, but no one has mentioned it yet: **Bye Bye Blackbird**. My favorite is Miles Davis on 'Round About Midnight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-jazz-tunes-and-songs/369449.md?page=1)