10 Greatest Jazz Songs

10

'Body and Soul'

Coleman Hawkins

Coleman Hawkins' version exemplified swing jazz transitioning over to bebop. His deep robust tone wasn't as light as his tenor saxophone colleague Lester Young, but he still was able to move delicately around the horn -- elaborating on the song's melody for three minutes and filling the side of 10" disc. Famous for winning cutting sessions with other horn players, here The Hawk is backed by a small band, creating a bona fide hit at the time of the song's release in 1939, and what is now one of the greatest jazz songs.

09

'One O'Clock Jump'

Count Basie

Count Basie was one of the greatest bandleaders in jazz, famous for leading the swinging-est band around, from 1935 until his death in 1984. Recorded during the jazz era in 1937, this jazz song was the first of many Basie hits, and became a highly-requested jazz standard, performed by the likes of Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman. The song pulled dancers on the floor, mainly due to Basie's jump rhythm and the short, snappy solos from the horn section.

08

'Mood Indigo'

Duke Ellington

First recorded in 1930 for the Brunswick label, 'Mood Indigo' isn't Duke Ellington's first hit, but it is arguably the greatest out of the 3000+ songs the master wrote and recorded over his illustrious career. Much of his prior work had more of a so-called "jungle" feel, but here Ellington took the melody of clarinetist Barney Bigard and arranged it into something truly sublime. The muted horns carry the melody here, offering up a moody and seductive tune that was an immediate hit. There is a bit of melancholy to the song, which is alluded to in the title, and ghostliness that made it perfect for radio broadcasts at night. The Grammy organization inducted the song into its hall of fame in 1975, and rightfully so.

07

'Someone to Watch Over Me'

Ella Fitzgerald

Originally released as a 10" for Decca in 1950, 'Someone to Watch Over Me' represents Ella Fitzgerald at the peak of her abilities, performing a classic Gershwin tune. Featuring Ellis Larkin on the piano, Fitzgerald digs deep into this love song, beautifully rendering the lyrics and gracefully turning each word into an emotional, multi-faceted gem. Excluding her trademark scatting and her landmark 'Porgy and Bess' sessions with Louis Armstrong, 'Someone' showcases Ella as Duke Ellington would say: "Beyond category." This is jazz's greatest singer doing one of her greatest works: Any questions?

06

'Giant Steps'

John Coltrane

The title track from Coltrane's 1960 breakthrough album, this song sets the bar for all other saxophonists and jazz enthusiasts. Not only is the song's melody one of Trane's most memorable, the solo of this five minute tune -- with a brief piano interlude -- has been widely studied due to the speed and level of difficulty the song is played.

05

'Ko-Ko'

Charlie Parker

Growing up in Kansas City, Charlie "Bird" Parker no doubt got his share of the blues-based jazz style, commonly associated with his hometown. Yet it was his time in New York City in the early to mid-40s playing with Dizzy Gillespie where the two hatched the radical style known as bebop. Their solos were lightning-fast and harmonically adventurous -- literally forcing every other player in jazz to play catch-up. Here Diz joins Bird for runs through the opening and closing melodies -- but the rest of the tune is Bird in full flight, taking off in unexpected directions, circling back, only to take off again.

04

'Round Midnight'

Thelonious Monk

'Round Midnight' is one of Monk's many songs he recorded over and over again throughout his career. Not only is this one of Monk's greatest jazz songs, but is one of the most recorded songs in jazz history (Miles Davis even did a rendition). Nonetheless, Monk's version from his first sessions with Blue Note in 1947 marked his arrival as one of jazz's greatest composers and is the template for all subsequent versions.

03

'Strange Fruit'

Billie Holiday

Although she didn't write many songs, Billie Holiday could cut classic versions of many songs, styled and worked in a limited range. Written by Bronx school teacher Abe Meerpool, 'Strange Fruit' is a song of conscience, inspired by a 1930 photo of two black men lynched in Marion Indiana. Holiday's definitive performance catapulted her from being a great singer into a future legend.

02

'So What'

Miles Davis

Trumpeter Miles Davis had a long prolific career that saw many changes in his sound, 'So What' deemed the pinnacle. The opening track to 'Kind of Blue' -- one of the greatest and best-selling jazz records -- 'So What' is known for the opening phrasing on piano and bass, before chiming in with the horns which make the modal melody. Soloist John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and Bill Evans flank the trumpeter, but it's the beauty of the leader's understated playing, matched with the fire of the sidemen, that makes this one of jazz's greatest moments.

01

'West End Blues'

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong was a beloved figure, known for not only his singing but also his trumpet playing -- particularly in the 1920s when he played with his Hot 5's and Hot 7's bands. This classic version of 'West End Blues' (with the Hot 5's) is no short of an art form, featuring a technically brilliant and extemporaneous opening cadenza by Armstrong on trumpet -- a high water mark by which all jazz trumpeters measure themselves. His version of 'Hello Dolly' might have made him a pop culture icon, but this song shows him to be a true artist and innovator.

 

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