Playing the saxophone Jazz Standards Resource

@jbtsax: I initially clicked on (and shared) your link to the 'list of jazz standards'. I've been exploring the site a bit more and it really does gives a wealth of information about jazz history, theory and biographies. A wonderful find! Yet another gem I've discovered through the cafe. The vocalist at one of my Big Bands is truly delighted with the info she's found at this site about the songs she sings!

Mike

I found this wonderful resource for anyone wanting to learn more about "jazz standards". Enjoy.

Jazz Standards
 
Much of the traditional/standard Big Band repertoire sounds pretty dated to my ears ( the 'glory days' of Big Bands in the 1930's/1940's). As a member of the Big Band's 'music committee', I always push to replace the old traditional stuff with more modern compositions.

But the Jazz Standards website has given me a new perspective on jazz history. Not in the traditional sense of learning more about important phases/people but in realising that tunes/songs that I really like playing now (and still sound fresh to me) were written/played/recorded back in the 1930's/1940's too. So some 'standards' seem to have a 'timeless' quality, at least for me.
Mike

I found this wonderful resource for anyone wanting to learn more about "jazz standards". Enjoy.

Jazz Standards
 
Much of the traditional/standard Big Band repertoire sounds pretty dated to my ears ( the 'glory days' of Big Bands in the 1930's/1940's). As a member of the Big Band's 'music committee', I always push to replace the old traditional stuff with more modern compositions.

An arranger I have recently discovered and really like is Jim Martin. His charts downloaded as pdf files are inexpensive and fun to play and listen to. A few of my favorites are "The Count is In" and "Dear Old Stockholm". You can hear many of his arrangements on Rob Parton's Jazztech Big Band albums.
 
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I agree wholeheartedly, @jbtsax, I currently play the following Dave Wolpe arrangements in my Big Bands and they're wonderful::
  • A Foggy Day
  • Do nothin’ till you hear from me
  • How high the moon
  • It don’t mean a thing
  • The man I love
  • The Lady is a Tramp
For my 2 Big Bands, Dave Wolpe is a 'preferred arranger'. My MD's are also arrangers and they have definite preferences for arrangements/arrangers. In addition to Dave Wolpe we play arrangements by arrangers such as Sammy Nestico, Neal Hefti, Jerry Nowak, Lennie Niehuis and Michael Sweeney. I hear from my MD's that these are 'top quality' Big Band arrangers.

Mike


Another arranger I am fond of is Dave Wolpe. The big band I play in does several of his vocal charts.
 

Similar threads... or are they? Maybe not but they could be worth reading anyway 😀

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