In the old days — define them as you will — it seemed as if everyone knew, and played, a thousand songs. Some of that knowlesge had to do with the demands of the marketplace: members of Goodman’s or Ellington’s or Basie’s bands had to learn and play new pop hits (CALL OF THE CANYON, I KEEP REMEMBERING, POP-CORN MAN) — some ephemeral, some of them lasting.
Today it seems as if jazz musicians and singers still have a common language, but their shared vocabulary continues to shrink. Often I hear a musician suggest a song that would have been well-known a few decades back — STAIRWAY TO THE STARS — and what would have been a delicious performance never happens because the other members of the group, ad-hoc or otherwise, don’t know the song.
Enough already with SOME OF THESE DAYS and ST. LOUIS BLUES; give SATIN DOLL and EVERYDAY I HAVE THE BLUES a rest; could we move beyond EXACTLY LIKE YOU and WHAT A LITTLE MOONLIGHT CAN DO? WHEN YOU’RE SMILING and PENNIES FROM HEAVEN are wonderful, memorable pieces of music . . . but they aren’t the only ones.
I am very fond of songs — all kinds of them, but particularly the pop songs of the period between the two World Wars — and their passing into obscurity makes me glum.
I am not proposing that we celebrate every pop hit or every forgettable song made memorable by a brilliant performance: my list below lacks I MISS MY SWISS and TAKE ME BACK TO MY BOOTS AND SADDLE.
But there are many many songs that never get performed — and they have lovely melodies and fitting, often deep lyrics — and are in danger of being entirely forgotten.
So what follows is purely an exercise in hopeful self-indulgence: a list of songs I think might make both listeners and musicians happy if they were to be learned and performed. JAZZ LIVES readers are free to suggest additions to this list, and encouraged to do so. I have put these song titles in alphabetical order to avoid any suggestion of ranking by merit.
And I mean no offense to some of my friends who perform a few of the songs on this list — I am not suggesting that their performances are obscure or forgettable. Quite the reverse: I dream of a world where everyone knows the lyrics and melody and chord changes to these beautiful songs. If my list seems heavily based in 1929-35 romanticism, it doesn’t bother me.
ABOUT A QUARTER TO NINE
ACCENT ON YOUTH
AFTER AWHILE
A HANDFUL OF STARS
ALL MY LIFE
APRIL IN MY HEART
BE CAREFUL, IT’S MY HEART
BEAUTIFUL LOVE
BLACK BUTTERFLY
BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH
BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS
BYE BYE BABY
BY THE FIRESIDE
CHARMAINE
CHASING SHADOWS
CHLOE
CONCENTRATIN’ (On You)
A COTTAGE FOR SALE
DEEP NIGHT
DEEP PURPLE
DIANE
DID YOU MEAN IT?
DON’T BE THAT WAY
DROP ME OFF IN HARLEM
EVENIN’
EV’RY NOW AND THEN
EV’RY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE
FIT AS A FIDDLE
FORTY-SECOND STREET
FOR ALL WE KNOW
GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY
GOT A DATE WITH AN ANGEL
GUILTY
HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN SO SOON?
HE’S THE LAST WORD
HERE IN MY ARMS
HOME
HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN TONIGHT
HOW ABOUT ME?
HOW ABOUT YOU
HUSTLIN’ AND BUSTLIN’ FOR BABY
I APOLOGIZE
I CAN DREAM, CAN’T I?
I CAN’T GET STARTED
I’D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN
I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TIME IT WAS
IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS
IF I HAD MY WAY
IF IT AIN’T LOVE
I GUESS I’LL HAVE TO CHANGE MY PLAN
I JUST COULDN’T TAKE IT, BABY
I’LL CLOSE MY EYES
I’LL FOLLOW YOU
I’LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN
I’LL STRING ALONG WITH YOU
I’M A DREAMER (Aren’t We All?)
I MARRIED AN ANGEL
I’M FALLING IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE
IMAGINATION
I’M IN THE MARKET FOR YOU
I’M LIVIN’ IN A GREAT BIG WAY
I’M NOBODY’S BABY
I’M OLD-FASHIONED
I’M THROUGH WITH LOVE
INDIAN LOVE CALL
I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU
I SEE YOUR FACE BEFORE ME
IT MUST BE TRUE
IT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND
JEANNINE (I Dream of Lilac Time)
JUST FRIENDS
JUST ONE MORE CHANCE
LET’S PUT OUT THE LIGHTS (And Go To Sleep)
LITTLE MAN, YOU’VE HAD A BUSY DAY
LOUISE
LOVE DROPPED IN FOR TEA
LOVE IN BLOOM
LOVE LETTERS
LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND
LOVE LOCKED OUT
LOVE ME TONIGHT
LOVE NEST
LULLABY OF BROADWAY
LULLABY OF THE LEAVES
MAKE BELIEVE
MAYBE YOU’LL BE THERE
ME AND THE MOON
MISS ANNABELLE LEE
MOMENTS LIKE THIS
MOONBURN
MOON SONG
MY BUDDY
MY OLD FLAME
NEVERTHELESS
NIGHT OWL
ONCE IN A WHILE (the ballad)
PARDON ME, PRETTY BABY
PENTHOUSE SERENADE
PEOPLE WILL SAY WE’RE IN LOVE
PLEASE
PLEASE BE KIND
POLKA DOTS AND MOONBEAMS
PRINCE OF WAILS
PRISONER OF LOVE
P.S., I LOVE YOU
RAMONA
READY FOR THE RIVER
REMEMBER
REMEMBER ME?
RESTLESS
‘ROUND MY OLD DESERTED FARM
ROSALIE
SAY IT ISN’T SO
SAY IT WITH A KISS
SERENADE IN BLUE
SHOE SHINE BOY
SLEEPY HEAD
SLEEPY TIME GAL
SMILES
SOFT LIGHTS AND SWEET MUSIC
SOLITUDE
SWEET AS A SONG
SWEETHEARTS ON PARADE
THANKS FOR THE MEMORY
THAT OLD FEELING
THE BATHTUB RAN OVER AGAIN
THE DAY YOU CAME ALONG
THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION
THE YOU AND ME THAT USED TO BE
THEN I’LL BE TIRED OF YOU
THERE’S A CABIN IN THE PINES
THIS HEART OF MINE
TIME ON MY HANDS (with verse)
TRUE CONFESSION
UNDER A BLANKET OF BLUE
WAIT TILL YOU SEE HER
WALKIN’ MY BABY BACK HOME
WAS I TO BLAME (For Falling in Love With You)?
WAS THAT THE HUMAN THING TO DO?
WE JUST COULDN’T SAY GOODBYE
WHEN DAY IS DONE
WHEN DID YOU LEAVE HEAVEN?
WHEN YOU AND I WERE YOUNG, MAGGIE
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
WHERE ARE YOU?
WHERE OR WHEN
WHERE THE BLUE OF THE NIGHT MEETS THE GOLD OF THE DAY
WILLOW TREE
WISHING WILL MAKE IT SO
WITH A SMILE AND A SONG
WITH EVERY BREATH I TAKE
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A WALK?
YOU OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES
YOUNG AND HEALTHY
YOU’RE BLASE
YOU’RE GETTING TO BE A HABIT WITH ME
YOU’RE LAUGHING AT ME
YOU’RE THE CREAM IN MY COFFEE
YOU ARE MY LUCKY STAR
YOU WERE MEANT FOR ME
YOU STARTED SOMETHING
YOU WENT TO MY HEAD
ZING! WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART
Consider and remember the riches that are just waiting to be sung, played, hummed . . . . And I know as soon as I press “Publish,” I will think of twenty more songs that I should have included . . . in fact, I COULD WRITE A BOOK.
May your happiness increase!
JAZZ LIVES 
I know 110 of those songs the erst I have heard of for the most part.Only a few were unknown to me.
Do you mean YOU GO TO MY HEAD?
Which YOU STARTED SOMETHING? ’36 or ’41?
Which BYE BYE BABY? ’36 or ’53?
I nominate
DEDICATED TO YOU
YOU WENT TO MY HEAD (Fats and his Rhythm): “You went to my head / Like a fizzy soda in a soda store / But even more / You went to my head / Like the scent of perfume in a stuffy room / But even more . . . ” Perhaps J. Fred Coots? YOU STARTED SOMETHING as recorded by Mildred in 1947. As for BYE BYE BABY, why not both?
I totally agree and you’ve got quite a great list here! a few more I would add would be:
After My Laughter Came Tears, Girl Of My Dreams, I’m Gettin Mighty Lonesome For You, Serenade Of The Bells, It’s A Blue World, Fool That I Am, Where Is Your Heart?, Daddy’s Little Girl, I Don’t Care Who Knows It, Trees, Moonlight Mood, You’re My Girl, Deep In A Dream, Margie, Because Of You, Me & My Shadow, I Heard You Cried Last Night, It Was So Beautiful, Rumors Are Flying, Among My Souvenirs, I Was Dancing With Someone, I Don’t Care (As Long As You Care For Me), Who’s To Blame?, Do You Care?, It’s Like Reaching For The Moon, Rendezvous With A Rose, Honest & Truly, Melody Of Love, It’s So Peaceful In The Country and It Happened In Monterey just to name a FEW… there’s hundreds more in my book! Hahaha
I knew I could count on your good taste, Austin!
Great post, as always, Michael! I’ve noticed that New Orleans bands have always kept the occasional curveball in the repertoire, going back to Bunk playing popular tunes like “In the Gloaming,” “Out of Nowhere” and such. Last week, during my annual visit to the Crescent City for the Satchmo Summerfest, I picked up about 14 CDs at the Louisiana Music Factory, spanning from the 1950s and 60s revival to the present day. Some highlights:
Captain John Handy – “On a Coconut Island,” “Shoe Shine Boy,” “I Laughed at Love”
Kid Thomas Valentine – “Say Si Si,” “Somebody Else is Taking My Place”
Jim Robinson – “Moonlight and Roses,” “Silver Bells”
De De Pierce – “Beer Barrel Polka” (also done on a Capt. John Handy CD!)
Kid Howard – “I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover”
Evan Christopher – “Tropical Moon,” “Solid Old Man”
The New Orleans Jazz Vipers – “Brother Can You Spare a Dime,” “Zonky”
The Palmetto Bug Stompers – “The Gypsy,” “We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)”
In fact, though I’ve enjoyed the Palmetto Bug Stompers live in the past, I had no intention of seeking out their CD when I hit the Louisiana Music Factory. But then I heard “We Three” (hey Austin!) and I stopped what I was doing and asked the clerk what it was and bought it on the spot. That kind of surprising repertoire choice, when done with affection and swing, makes me a fan every time.
Ricky
“In Love in Vain”. Keith Jarrett did it with his trio in fairly recent times. But I doubt if any mortal can equal Mildred Bailey’s version. Her voice no longer had the spring out youth which had her reaching for something way, way deep.
This is a subject about which I am passionate; there is such a wealth of wonderful material to choose from, and, as you rightly point out Michael, the same songs are rolled out with increasing regularity. Interestingly, I find that more ‘mainstream/modern’ players suffer from the same problem. ‘ Whenever a ‘scratch’ band, or sitters in appear it is invariably “All The Things You Are”, “How High The Moon”, “On Green Dolphin Street” etc etc. (Not that there is anything wrong with those tunes par se……). It is easy to criticize the ‘Real Book culture’ as many do, but, to be fair, the Real Books – and their ilk – provide hundreds, if not thousands of more obscure songs and standards. Are musicians simply becoming lazy? Or perhaps just playing it safe by constantly calling the same songs? Perhaps it is an unfortunate side effect of the declining number of venues where younger musicians could sit in and gain experience; years ago it was a great way of learning new material to have an unusual song ‘thrown at you’ whilst sitting in; this seems to happen less and less now………
Oh, yes, indeed. One of the more “modern” songs which could take a rest is IT’S YOU OR NO ONE, to say nothing of the endless reliance on Bird lines . . . but dare I go on? I wanted to suggest that the common vocabulary could be refreshed, and here I am criticizing what might seem to be the status quo. Hope springs eternal, rather like the Basie rhythm section!
I love this idea, and would offer the following additions to your list:
Accidents Will Happen
After You, Who?
Again
All in Fun
All Through the Day
All Too Soon
Any Old Time
Blue Prelude
Can I Forget You?
Can’t Get Indiana Off My Mind
Can’t We Talk It Over?
Close as Pages in a Book
The Couple in the Castle
Dancing on a Dime
Did I Remember?
Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?
East Side of Heaven
Easy Come, Easy Go
Ev’rything I Love
Foolin’ Myself
From Monday On
Get Out and Get Under the Moon
A Handful of Stars
Hands Across the Table
Happy As the Day Is Long
Harlem Butterfly
Have You Got Any Castles, Baby?
Heaven Can Wait
How Am I to Know?
How Little We Know
Humpty Dumpty Heart
A Hundred Years from Today
I Believe in Miracles
I Can’t Begin to Tell You
I Double Dare You
I Guess I’ll Have to Dream the Rest
I Know Why (and So Do You)
I Like the Likes of You
I Never Had a Chance
I Wanna Be Loved
I Want to Talk About You
I Wished on the Moon
I’ll Buy That Dream
I’ll Never Be the Same
I’m a Dreamer, Aren’t We All?
I’m Coming VirginiaI’m Gonna Lock My Heart (and Throw Away the Key)
I’m in Love with the Honorable Mr. So and So
I’m Playing with Fire
I’ve Got My Eyes on You
If I Love Again
If Love Were All
If There Is Someone Lovlier Than You
In a Sentimental Mood
In the Middle of a Kiss
It All Depends on You
It Can’t Be Wrong
It Never Was You
It’s a Big, Wide, Wonderful World
It’s Been So Long
It’s the Dreamer in Me
June in January
Just Imagine
Keepin’ Myself for You
The Land Where the Good Songs Go
Lazy
Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella
Let’s Begin
Let’s Get Lost
Little Old Lady
Looking at You
Love Is the Sweetest Thing
Me, Myself and I (Are All in Love with You)
Memphis in June
Midnight with the Stars and You
Moanin’ in the Mornin’
The Moon Looks Down and Laughs
Music Maestro Please
My Heart Tells Me
New Sun in the Sky
No Love, No Nothin’
No Regrets
Now It Can Be Told
Oh, You Crazy Moon
On Treasure Island
Once in a Blue Moon (Kern/Caldwell)
One Morning in May
Out of Nowhere
Painting the Clouds with Sunshine
Poor Pierrot
Remind Me
Roll Along, Prairie Moon
Sand in My Shoes
Say It (Over and Over Again)
Say It Isn’t So
Shadow Waltz
Shaking the Blues Away
She’s Funny That Way
Sleighride in July
Soft As Spring
Some Sunday Morning
Something to Remember You By
Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year
The Starlit Hour
A Strtanger in Town
Sunday, Monday or Always
Sweet and Slow
Slowly
Thanks a Million
That’s for Me (Rodgers/Hammerstein)
There I’ve Said It Again
There’s a Lull in My Life
There’s No You
Thinking of You
This Funny World
Three on a Match
The Thrill Is Gone
This Is New
Through the Years
‘Tis Autumn
Too Many Tears
The Touch of Your Lips
True Blue Lou
Twentieth Century Blues
Up with the Lark
The Very Thought of You
We’ll Be Together Again
Westwind
What Is There to Say?
What WIll I tell My Heart
What’ll I Do?
What’s New?
When a Woman Needs a Man
Why Do I Love You?
Without Love (DeSylva/Brown/Henderson)
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
The You and Me That Used to Be
You and the Night and the Music
You Are Love
You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
You Don’t Know What Love Is
You Showed Me the Way
You Turned the Tables on Me
You’re Easy to Dance With
You’re Nearer
When Light’s Are Low
Like you, I could probably come up with more if I tried,
This is a great list – perhaps there could be a list of links to versions one could hear online?
There “could” indeed be such a list but I regret I haven’t the energies needed to do it. Perhaps someone in my readership would like to take it on? But, dear Anonymous, you will see that the comments just today have added hundreds of song titles . . . check out YouTube and see what comes up! Happy trails, Michael
I am amazed at how many I actually know and can play. Then there are many that ramble around in my head but I cant nail down. Got to hear the first few bars and then it comes out automatically. My Mom had the radio on and sang along any time she was working in the kitchen, and lots stuck.
Hi Michael I totally agree – with one modification….play ther verse as well! John
I would imagine that one could find versions of many of these titles on YouTube. Samples of most of them can probably be found on the All Music Guide or Amazon. For searching on YouTube, you might have to refine your search a bit where there are more contemporary songs with the same title. You can use the All Music Guide to get the names of artists who did the older versions to refine your YouTube searches. Setting up links would be an undertaking for someone with a lot of time on his or her hands.
Reblogged this on The Jazz House and commented:
Valid points all around…
This list is heavy on Harry Warren compositions.
AT LAST
BY THE RIVER SAINTE MARIE
CHEERFUL LITTLE EARFUL
COFFEE IN THE MORNING
CRYIN’ FOR THE CAROLINES
DANCING ON THE CEILING
DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME
EAST OF THE SUN
EASY TO LOVE
FAIR AND WARMER
GARDEN OF THE MOON
GONE WITH THE WIND
HAVE YOU MET MISS JONES
HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN
I COVER THE WATERFRONT
I DON’T STAND A GHOST OF A CHANCE WITH YOU
I FOUND A MILLION DOLLAR BABY
I HADN’T ANYONE TILL YOU
I KNOW WHY
I LOVE MY BABY
I SHOULD CARE
I WALK WITH MUSIC
I WISH I KNEW
I’LL BUY THAT DREAM
I’LL GET BY
I’LL NEVER BE THE SAME
I’LL REMEMBER APRIL
I’LL SING YOU A THOUSAND LOVE SONGS
IT’S THE TALK OF THE TOWN
JEEPERS CREEPERS
JUST A MEMORY
LULU’S BACK IN TOWN
MORE THAN YOU KNOW
MY BABY JUST CARES FOR ME
MY FOOLISH HEART
MY HEART STOOD STILL
NO LOVE, NO NOTHIN’
NOW THAT YOU’RE GONE
ONE MORNING IN MAY
ONE SWEET LETTER FROM YOU
OOH! THAT KISS
OUT OF NOWHERE
ROSE OF THE RIO GRANDE
ROSE ROOM
‘S WONDERFUL
SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN
SHANGHAI LIL
SHE’S A LATIN FROM MANHATTAN
SHUFFLE OFF TO BUFFALO
SING A LITTLE JINGLE
SLUMMING ON PARK AVENUE
SOMETHING TELLS ME
SUMMER NIGHT
SWEET AND SLOW
SWINGING DOWN THE LANE
TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE
TELLING IT TO THE DAISIES
THE MORE I SEE YOU
THE ONE I LOVE BELONGS TO SOMEBODY ELSE
THE TOUCH OF YOUR LIPS
THEN I’LL BE HAPPY
THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE
THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU
THERE’S A SMALL HOTEL
THIS IS ALWAYS
THIS HEART OF MINE
TIME WAS
TOO MANY TEARS
UNTIL THE REAL THING COMES ALONG
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MADE
WHEN WINTER COMES
WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE
WHISPERING
WITH PLENTY OF MONEY AND YOU
YOU’LL NEVER KNOW
YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING
YOU’VE GOT ME CRYING AGAIN
There are many more I could add. This was the great age of American popular song – before the predominance of the singer-songwriter (Johnny Mercer excepted.
Having so many Harry Warren songs illustrates the old saw about the cream always rising to the top. In popular music, melody is a primary ingredient, and Warren was a master melodist, as were Van Heusen and Kern.
Michael, the reliance on Bird licks – especially among saxophonists – is a badge of craft. It’s a way to signify to musicians that you belong and to take you seriously. As such, it counts for more than the styles of earlier players or ears.
Some will even listen specifically for proof of Parker n your playing – I actually had a respected clarinetist complain that my alto playing didn’t have enough Bird in it. And he was sitting in with my gruop at the time!
I dig BIrd, but that does not mean that I do not appreciate a saxophonist who does not throw in Bird licks. Even more egregious is the reliance of so many young sax players who feel compelled to base their playing on John Coltrane. Many are not only taken with his content, but also insist on imitating his harsh sound. They ignore Hawk, Bean, Prez, Zoot, Al, Stan and so many others without whom Coltrane would have had no foundation. To take it one step further, I believe that the worst moment in jazz is when Trane picked up a soprano sax. Since that time, I picture every cobra in the world emerging from a basket when the sound of Trane or one of his acolytes playing a soprano inflicts the world with that horrible sound.
Mr, Lang, I agree with you completely about the slavish Trane and Bird wannabees who play 48 choruses when they are hard pressed to craft a single meaningful phrase. The ones who think the alpha and omega of “jazz” is the Real Book.
How about a “badge of craft” for an individual approach. That’s the glory of this music.
Pres is reported to have said “you can’t join the throng till you sing your own song”.
It’s not really the fault of the younger players though, there is seldom the chance at mentorship which used to be the norm. Few elders to kick some ass now and then.
A positive force is this blog site which consistently and selflessly presents music committed to authenticity.
I know who you are, Sir, and I lovet you, too.
YOU WENT TO MY HEAD – Ya – That is one I do not know.
YOU STARTED SOMETHING – the 1941 version is from a Betty Grable film – Moon Over Miami. Robin and Rainger http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/315294/Moon-Over-Miami-Movie-Clip-You-Started-Something.html
“As for BYE BYE BABY, why not both?” Why not? 🙂
So many wonderful songs are being listed, but do they suit the needs of a Jazz player?
Why not let the jazz players decide for themselves, once they have taken in the lovely kinds of information, feeling, and experience? My guess is that no one asked Billie if she really wanted to record MISS BROWN TO YOU, or Mildred if she liked I’D LOVE TO TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU, or a thousand other examples . . . the jazz players did what they thought was right for themselves and the song and made masterpieces. It could happen again!
Remember too, everyone, that quality is easy to ignore in entertainment-for-hire like pop songs. We’re conditioned – those of us of a pre-internet vintage, anyway – to draw a bright line between art and entertainment, or what is often really meant, art and crap.
I hope the younger musicians, raised in a postmodernist, information-rich world, can perceive many subtle degrees of gradation between those two poles which used to be strictly kept apart!
They can!
But, natch. But my point still is that perhaps many of these excellent pop tunes do not attract or suit the improvisational needs of the Jazz man due to their melodic or harmonic content, And we seem to be naming a lot of tunes that the Jazz man does not play much or at all. There may be a reason for that.
It’s as much tradition as content, I’m sure. It gets reinforced that you don’t go digging for new tunes unless you’re playing with the same folks all the time. Professional courtesy becomes an artistic default decision.
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Great string. Before I die I want to play in a band called “Anything but Perdido”. So many songs, so little time.
Wonderful choices, all. It’s an inexhaustible treasure trove if you are willing to dig. Thanks for suggesting all these gems!
What about Willard Robisons Old Folks, and any melody is grist to the mill of jazz, whatever that is.
Already mentioned, but thanks for reading.