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

Spring, Spring, SpringJohnny Mercer

Spring, Spring, Spring by Johnny Mercer

A charming song with a buoyant melody that brims with springtime vitality and witty lyrics.

The spring scenes depicted by Johnny Mercer, one of America’s preeminent lyricists, warmly convey nature’s joy and renewal through images of creatures like frogs and ducks.

Released in June 1954 by the M-G-M Studio Orchestra, it colored key scenes in that year’s musical film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

The piece found new luster in 1976 in a duet by Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.

A heartwarming jazz standard, perfect for morning walks or springtime outings.

Waltz For DebbyBill Evans Trio

Bill Evans – Waltz For Debby

Bill Evans, an intellectual and beautiful musician known as the “Poet of Jazz Piano,” left his name in history with his original style.

As a composer, he also wrote many masterpieces that countless later artists have rushed to cover.

Among them, Waltz for Debby—the piece introduced here—is a timeless classic cherished as a standard number; as the title suggests, its friendly melody set to a waltz rhythm is something even non-jazz fans have likely heard at least once.

While the version on the 1961 live album of the same name is by far the most famous, the piece actually first appeared on Evans’s 1957 release New Jazz Conceptions, his debut as a leader.

The earliest version was recorded as a piano solo by Evans, and on the aforementioned live album it’s performed by a legendary jazz trio: Evans, the brilliant bassist Scott LaFaro—who died at the young age of 25—and drummer Paul Motian, a long-standing pillar of the jazz scene.

St. ThomasSonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins – St. Thomas (Official Audio)

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.

FootprintsWayne Shorter

Footprints (Remastered)

Here is a masterpiece that revolutionized the world of jazz.

While based on a 12-bar blues form, it captivates listeners with its distinctive rhythms and harmonies.

Polyrhythms rooted in African music and unconventional chord progressions convey a profound musicality.

First released in 1966 on the album “Adam’s Apple,” this piece was also included that same year on Miles Davis’s album “Miles Smiles,” leaving a major impact on the jazz world.

It’s highly recommended for those interested in the history and evolution of jazz, as well as for anyone who enjoys complex rhythms and harmonies.

Take your time and savor this track, which encapsulates Wayne Shorter’s spirit of musical exploration.

Maiden VoyageHerbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage

Even in the 2020s, well into his eighties, Herbie Hancock remains a powerhouse on the front lines of the jazz scene, combining extraordinary musicianship with a sensibility unbound by established styles.

A creator of multiple masterpieces etched into jazz history, Hancock has also released many compositions that later artists frequently cover as standards.

This time, we’re focusing on the title track from his 1965 masterpiece album Maiden Voyage.

Known in Japan as “Shojo Kōkai” (“Maiden Voyage”), it’s one of Hancock’s signature works and a hugely famous piece—likely to rank near the top of any list of all-time great jazz tunes.

As the album’s cover art and title suggest, it’s a work themed around the sea.

From the instantly recognizable opening piano phrase, the piece unfolds with a grandeur and elegance that conjure vast ocean vistas, leading into the main theme stated by the horns.

While the melody isn’t exactly “catchy” or overtly accessible, the song’s unique world deepens in flavor the more you listen.

Robert Glasper, a pianist who has led the jazz scene since the 2000s, has also interpreted this piece in his own work, so be sure to check that out as well!

My Funny VallentineFrank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra – My Funny Valentine

When you hear the famous jazz standard “My Funny Valentine,” do you first think of a vocal version or an instrumental one? In this article, I introduce Frank Sinatra’s vocal rendition, but the tune has been covered in many forms by numerous musicians—for example, Miles Davis featured it as the opening track on his 1957 album Cookin’, and Jim Hall and Bill Evans covered it at a much faster tempo than the original on their classic album Undercurrent.

The song was originally composed by Richard Rodgers—who left an indelible mark on American music with his vast body of work, particularly in musical theater—for the musical Babes in Arms, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart, Rodgers’s well-known collaborator.

By the way, among jazz singer covers, Chet Baker’s vocal version is also extremely famous.

It appears on the West Coast jazz classic Chet Baker Sings, released in 1956.

Round MidnightThelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk Quartet – ‘Round Midnight

Somehow, just seeing the title ‘Round Midnight gives you a distinctly cool vibe, doesn’t it? And of course, the piece itself is an incredibly cool and beautiful classic.

‘Round Midnight was composed by Thelonious Monk—one of the giants of jazz, famed for his uniquely improvised piano style and for writing many standards—and was unveiled in 1944.

As for Monk’s own recordings, the first is considered to be from 1947, which you can hear on the 1951 release Genius of Modern Music: Volume 1.

It’s also well known that Miles Davis frequently featured this tune; on his 1956 masterpiece ‘Round About Midnight, it appears as the opening track.

While ‘Round Midnight is one of the most famous jazz standards, it also comes with many mysteries: it’s said that the original version was composed when Monk was 19, the first recording was by a band led by Cootie Williams, and the version known today as the standard differs from Monk’s original—fascinating, isn’t it?