Great for karaoke too! Jazz classics you’ll want to sing at least once

The Girl From IpanemaFrank Sinatra

The Girl From Ipanema (2008 Remastered)

Here is a representative bossa nova song released by Antônio Carlos Jobim in 1962.

Since it’s a bossa nova piece, there are versions in both Portuguese and English, but the English version famously features vocals by Astrud Gilberto, the wife of João Gilberto.

All Of MeBillie Holiday

All of me

This song is best known for Billie Holiday’s version.

It’s a poignant breakup song from the perspective of a woman who’s been left.

Jazz tunes often have altered melodies (fakes) or different lengths due to record time constraints, so knowing which version the karaoke track follows will help you sing it well!

Tea For TwoDoris Day

Doris Day – Tea for two

Here is a relatively old standard number composed by Vincent Youmans, who also worked as a Broadway musical producer in 1924 for the musical No, No, Nanette.

With charming lyrics that imagine a future with a lover and an interesting sudden key change, this piece is often performed with Latin rhythms such as the cha-cha.

It might suit a female vocalist a bit better.

What A Difference A Day MadeNatalie Cole

What A Difference A Day Made

This song was originally a Spanish piece titled “Cuando Vuelva a Tu Lado,” composed in 1934 by the Mexican songwriter María Grever.

It is often sung as a ballad, but it is also performed with Latin rhythms.

The lyrics tell of how meeting you transformed a life dramatically in just 24 hours.

YesterdaysBillie Holiday

Billie Holiday – Yesterdays (1939)

Just from the title alone, you might be reminded of that famous Beatles song, but this is actually a different piece—composed in 1933 by Jerome Kern and cherished as a jazz standard.

It’s in a minor key that tends to appeal to Japanese listeners, yet the end of the song loops back to the beginning, creating a curious, trompe-l’oeil-like sensation.

The lyrics aren’t very extensive, so it’s a relatively easy song to memorize.

Body And SoulSarah Vaughan

Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown – Body And Soul (EmArcy Records 1954)

Composed in 1930 by Johnny Green, this piece is one of the best-known jazz standards and is popular for both instruments and vocals.

It belongs to the genre of torch songs, which sing of heartbreak, and it eloquently expresses a woman’s sorrow.

Jazz vocals are often not sung strictly according to the original melody; singers frequently add their own arrangements and create unique melodic lines.

Therefore, it may be easier to listen to and compare several versions before you sing it yourself.

BewitchedLaura Fygi

Bewitched By Laura Fygi

Composed by Richard Rodgers and with lyrics by Lorenz Hart—often called the strongest duo in musical theater songwriting—this sweet love song first appeared in the 1941 musical “Pal Joey” and has since become a jazz ballad standard.

The way the chorus takes on a slightly minor feel makes it a truly heart-tugging tune.

It’s also famous for its intro section, known as the verse.

It’s a number I’d particularly recommend for women.