I was thinking about standards, and I decided to create a guide for students (and for myself, and anyone else who is interested) that placed the most common jazz tunes into three tiers. I do not mean for this to be a guide to conquering jam sessions, although it's undeniably true that the jam session, however exasperating it can be, is still the best way for jazz musicians, especially those in new places, to meet other jazz musicians. (And who am I kidding, as I write in December 2020. I would kill to go to a jam session right now.)
It's also true that jazz has a standard set of tunes that, pretty much anywhere in the world you go, people will know. It's important to be able to play these tunes in order to converse with musicians. But on top of that, learning these tunes will create a base for harmonic ability, form identification, vocabulary, and other skills that you will be able to build on as you get into more obscure, and more modern, jazz music. Most jazz musicians start from the same basic roots, and then splinter as they discover their musical identities.
It’s also important to remember that there are a lot of factors that go into what any single jazz musician would consider an “essential” tune. In many respects, the tunes that would fit into a list like this are geographically dependent - perhaps the musicians in Chicago play “Invitation” all the time, but never “Speak No Evil,” whereas the musicians in Houston love “Speak No Evil.” Additionally, there are 100% some tunes on this list that I have higher than some might, or lower than some might, based on how and when that song came up in my own personal education. This list is not meant to be infallible, merely a guide based on my own experience in the jazz world. I also definitely forgot some, I just don't know which ones yet.
Finally, this list will mean something different to you at different moments in your journey. I have not actually played Cantaloupe Island, for example, in many years, and I don't really care to. In that sense, is it an essential jazz tune for me? Not exactly. But there was a time when I needed to know it, so I learned it. Additionally, it's important to remember that tunes in all three of the difficulty categories can teach something to any level of player. Just because someone has been playing professionally for many years does not mean they cannot get anything out of "Freddie Freeloader." And just because you can play the notes to "Blue in Green" does not mean that it's easy to sound good playing it. The difficulty level assigned to these tunes is not meant to suggest that you should or should not work on any of these tunes, it's merely a (very) rough guide for people who are looking for something to practice.
Let's get started.
Tier One
These are tunes that every serious jazz musician should have memorized - and other jazz musicians will expect you to know them.
Tier Two
The tunes in tier two are somewhat less common than those in tier one, but I would still consider them tunes that every serious jazz musician should know (and, ultimately, memorize).
Tier Three
These are tunes that you will still encounter fairly often, and you should know, but they're not quite as important to know as those listed above.
One Hundred Bonus Tunes
And finally, here are 100 more songs to learn, of varying style and difficulty. They're not especially common jam session tunes but they're still good to know.
Along Came Betty
Angel Eyes
Avalon
Birdlike
Birk's Works
Black Narcissus
Bolivia
Cheesecake
Come Rain or Come Shine
Come Sunday
Con Alma
Conception
Contemplation
Countdown
Cousin Mary
Crisis
Cry Me A River
Cyclic Episode
Dat Dere
Dear Old Stockholm
Dearly Beloved
Deluge
Dig
Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me
Doodlin'
East of the Sun
Eighty One
El Gaucho
Emily
Epistrophy
Fall
Firm Roots
A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
For All We Know
For Regulars Only
The Frim Fram Sauce
Grand Central
Green Chimneys
Half Nelson
Here's That Rainy Day
I Cover The Waterfront
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
I Hear A Rhapsody
I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
I Mean You
I Should Care
I'm Beginning to See the Light
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
In Your Own Sweet Way
Inner Urge
In Walked Bud
Jeannine
The Jody Grind
Jordu
Joshua
Lament
Laura
Limehouse Blues
Lonely Woman
Long Ago (And Far Away)
Lonnie's Lament
Manteca
Mean to Me
Milestones (Old)
Moment's Notice
Moonlight in Vermont
Moose the Mooche
My Shining Hour
My Ship
Nature Boy
Nica's Dream
The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
Our Love Is Here To Stay
Parisian Thoroughfare
Passion Dance
Pent Up House
The Preacher
Solitude
So Nice (Summer Samba)
The Song Is You
Stormy Weather
The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
Tea For Two
The Theme
Three Little Words
Time After Time
Triste
Tune Up
Valse Hot
The Very Thought of You
The Way You Look Tonight
West Coast Blues
What's New?
When Will the Blues Leave?
Wildflower
Willow Weep For Me
Windows
Without a Song
You're My Everything
You Stepped Out of a Dream