Famous Western jazz classics. Recommended popular songs.

In a sentimental moodDuke Ellington & John Coltrane

Duke Ellington & John Coltrane – In a sentimental mood

A beautiful collaboration from 1962 between Duke Ellington, a towering figure in American jazz, and the innovative saxophonist John Coltrane.

With a poetic vision that likens feelings for a loved one to a starry sky, the sublime harmony woven by Ellington’s elegant piano and Coltrane’s gentle saxophone sinks deeply into the heart.

The origin story from 1935 is also fascinating: a melody improvised to ease a quarrel between friends has since become a shining classic in jazz history.

It was memorably used in the 2005 film “Prime,” and it’s a piece you’ll want to listen to quietly in a café on a calm spring afternoon.

It offers a healing moment that warms the soul.

Night in TunisiaArt Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers – A Night in Tunisia

Here is a famous jazz number that evokes a sense of exoticism—like what the night in Tunisia must surely be like, even if one has never been there.

Dizzy Gillespie composed the piece with Frank Paparelli in 1942.

The performance by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers is the most well-known, but lyrics were later added, and vocal versions can also be found.

Bésame MuchoArt Pepper

Art Pepper Quartet – Bésame Mucho

Here is a piece said to have been written in 1940 by Mexico’s Consuelo Velázquez before she had even turned 16.

Originally a Latin standard, it has also been beloved by jazz performers and is frequently featured on both instruments and vocals, with many renowned interpretations.

It was even covered by the Beatles, with two recordings from 1962 still in existence.

The English lyrics were written by Sunny Skylar and are close in meaning to the original Spanish.

Stolen MomentsOliver Nelson

Stolen Moments

One of Oliver Nelson’s signature pieces, he was not only a saxophonist but also active as a composer and conductor.

It’s said that he was inspired to pursue composition after hearing the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra while in Japan with the Marine Corps band, making him, perhaps unexpectedly, a musician with ties to Japan.

This piece is his final work, featuring a calm, steady bass line over which trumpets, saxophones, flutes, and other wind instruments perform as if in a graceful dance.

It’s Only a Paper MoonElla Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald – It’s Only a Paper Moon

Set against a fantastical world of paper moons and cardboard seas, this classic song depicts how love makes reality shine brighter, all gently embraced by the warm, tender voice of America’s own Ella Fitzgerald.

Recorded in March 1945 in collaboration with the Delta Rhythm Boys, the piece blends a buoyantly swinging melody with deeply affectionate vocals in perfect harmony.

It’s a gem that captures, with a bright and optimistic tone, how meeting a beloved person can illuminate the ordinary day-to-day.

Featured in many works—including the 1973 film “Paper Moon”—it’s a perfect choice for welcoming a new season and sharing a heartwarming moment with someone special.

Cleopatra’s DreamBud Powell

Bud Powell “Cleopatra’s Dream”

This song is among the top five most requested numbers at jazz clubs in Japan.

Composed by the great pianist Bud Powell, it opens his 1959 album The Scene Changes.

Its minor-key, melancholy mood may resonate with Japanese listeners.

It sounds simple, but the original version is also known for being played in a notoriously difficult key.

SpiritsAlbert Ayler

Spirits

Albert Ayler, a musician indispensable to any discussion of 1960s free jazz, undertook numerous avant-garde experiments.

This track, too, conveys a passionate, aggressive impression.

Needless to say, the saxophone’s fluid melodic lines, as if rampaging wildly, are superb.

Be sure to also focus on the rhythm section—the drums and bass—that keep driving a hot beat throughout!