jazz standards poll

jazz standards poll tournament - run by @symptomofloves

[jazzstandardspoll]

jazz standards tournament announces its second annual poll!

[jazzstandardspoll]

jazz standards poll submissions

to be counted in the bracket, your submission must be a jazz standard, i.e. a musical composition, with or without lyrics, that is widely co

welcome to the second annual jazz standards bracket! we are currently collecting submissions for the best jazz standard. if you have a song in mind, please fill out the submission sheet above.

to be counted in the bracket, your submission must be a jazz standard, i.e. a musical composition, with or without lyrics, that is widely considered to be an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians

*this includes songs that were not explicitly written as jazz compositions, e.g. tin pan alley popular songs, broadway show tunes, songs from hollywood musicals, certain traditional folk songs

feel free to submit as many times as you like, but please only submit one song per form. links to recordings, both audio & video, of your submitted song are also encouraged.

so as to avoid repeat winners, nothing that made it to the quarterfinals of the 2024 tournament will be admissible. this means that the songs "all of me," "blue skies," "dream a little dream of me," "fly me to the moon," "mack the knife," "st. james' infirmary," "st. louis blues," & "stardust" will NOT be admissible for this year's tournament.

thank you for your submissions! looking forward to starting the tournament once they have been compiled :)

[black-0rpheus]

“People are always referring to this or that ‘golden age.’ I was lucky to start photography in a time that was often called the ‘Golden Age of Jazz.’ I got to see and photograph Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and others…It was not only a golden age as far as the stars were concerned, it was a golden age for photographers. A dumb kid like myself could pay admission and shoot whatever I wanted. There was no security, no managers, and no PR people, just the jazz people themselves and the music. With rare exceptions, no one ever objected. It was a picnic. I will always be grateful for the listening and the joy of shooting these great people.” - Jay Maisel (Seen pictured: Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Chet Baker, and Gerry Mulligan)

[jazz-improvisation]

Thelonius Monk playing a piano at the 30th Street Studios in 1964.

photography: Doug Quackenbush

[jazzstandardspoll]

jazz standards tournament announces its second annual poll!

[jazzstandardspoll]

jazz standards poll submissions

to be counted in the bracket, your submission must be a jazz standard, i.e. a musical composition, with or without lyrics, that is widely co

welcome to the second annual jazz standards bracket! we are currently collecting submissions for the best jazz standard. if you have a song in mind, please fill out the submission sheet above.

to be counted in the bracket, your submission must be a jazz standard, i.e. a musical composition, with or without lyrics, that is widely considered to be an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians

*this includes songs that were not explicitly written as jazz compositions, e.g. tin pan alley popular songs, broadway show tunes, songs from hollywood musicals, certain traditional folk songs

feel free to submit as many times as you like, but please only submit one song per form. links to recordings, both audio & video, of your submitted song are also encouraged.

so as to avoid repeat winners, nothing that made it to the quarterfinals of the 2024 tournament will be admissible. this means that the songs "all of me," "blue skies," "dream a little dream of me," "fly me to the moon," "mack the knife," "st. james' infirmary," "st. louis blues," & "stardust" will NOT be admissible for this year's tournament.

thank you for your submissions! looking forward to starting the tournament once they have been compiled :)

[jazzstandardspoll]

*FINAL* Which jazz standard is better?

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

St. James' Infirmary

Voting ended onSep 16, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Composed by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, with lyrics by Gus Kahn

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (x), Doris Day (x), The Mamas & The Papas (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

St. James' Infirmary

Traditional

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong (x), Cab Calloway (x), Artie Shaw (x)

Propaganda:

i love how this song starts as a lament and then switches on a dime to such a cool, proud, almost bragging defiance of death. and of course that trumpet!! that trombone!!

imo this song exemplifies the rich tapestry of popular music and the links between the jazz standards, the blues, and the english, irish, and appalachian folk traditions. people sort of fight over whether this song is influenced by the unfortunate rake/rakes progress/young trooper cut down in his prime/etc., (musicologist a. l. lloyd’s theory) or not- there’s a whole book about it, “i went down to the st. james infirmary” by robert harwood.

but none of that really matters. if you love the blues and you love folk music this song is like a familiar hug, full of the themes and motifs you recognize but maybe can’t quite pin down. the mysterious origins are part of the fun. extra propaganda: if you know/love/have ever listened to “blind willie mctell” by bob dylan, this song is the father.

i like the way this one sounds but i also think it's historically/anthropologically pretty cool... it's part of the lineage of "the unfortunate rake" which also spawned popular folk songs like "streets of laredo" and possibly "house of the rising sun" (debated among experts but possible), but this one unlike those others was taken up by jazz artists starting in the 1920s and eventually came to be regarded as a jazz standard. fascinating stuff!

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

St. Louis Blues

Fly Me To The Moon

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Voting ended onSep 2, 2024

*Fly Me To The Moon & Dream A Little Dream Of Me tied during the previous round, hence why this is a three-way poll. Only the song with the most votes among them will continue to the next round.

Descriptions & Propaganda

St. Louis Blues

Composed by W. C. Handy

Notable versions: Bessie Smith (x), Django Reinhardt (x), Louis Armstrong (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Composed by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, with lyrics by Gus Kahn

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (x), Doris Day (x), The Mamas & The Papas (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

Fly Me To The Moon

Composed by Bart Howard

Notable versions: Frank Sinatra (x), Vince Guaraldi (x), Roy Haynes Quartet (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

St. James' Infirmary

Stardust

Voting ended onSep 1, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

St. James' Infirmary

Traditional

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong (x), Cab Calloway (x), Artie Shaw (x)

Propaganda:

i love how this song starts as a lament and then switches on a dime to such a cool, proud, almost bragging defiance of death. and of course that trumpet!! that trombone!!

imo this song exemplifies the rich tapestry of popular music and the links between the jazz standards, the blues, and the english, irish, and appalachian folk traditions. people sort of fight over whether this song is influenced by the unfortunate rake/rakes progress/young trooper cut down in his prime/etc., (musicologist a. l. lloyd’s theory) or not- there’s a whole book about it, “i went down to the st. james infirmary” by robert harwood.

but none of that really matters. if you love the blues and you love folk music this song is like a familiar hug, full of the themes and motifs you recognize but maybe can’t quite pin down. the mysterious origins are part of the fun. extra propaganda: if you know/love/have ever listened to “blind willie mctell” by bob dylan, this song is the father.

i like the way this one sounds but i also think it's historically/anthropologically pretty cool... it's part of the lineage of "the unfortunate rake" which also spawned popular folk songs like "streets of laredo" and possibly "house of the rising sun" (debated among experts but possible), but this one unlike those others was taken up by jazz artists starting in the 1920s and eventually came to be regarded as a jazz standard. fascinating stuff!

Stardust

Composed by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics by Mitchell Parish

Notable versions: Hoagy Carmichael (x), Nat King Cole (x), Samara Joy (x)

Propaganda: For a long time, this was arguably THEE jazz standard. To quote writer Will Friedwald: “By the mid-1950s…’Star Dust’ had already been around for twenty five years and was long established as the most popular of popular songs…[and] had also become archetypal Tin Pan Alley: its dreamy, somewhat meandering melody had inspired hundreds of other tunes, its metaphor lyric had launched God knows how many other reveries of love and loss.” Stardust isn’t just a song, it’s an institution, the forgotten bedrock of popular music before rock’n’roll. It’s been endlessly covered by both jazz bands and singers since 1927, but one of the most famous versions is by country singer Willie Nelson. I love that version, and the one by Samara Joy is transcendental. But to me, the absolute definitive version is by Nat King Cole, no questions asked. It perfectly captures the yearning for a lost love, while looking up at a sky full of stars.

[jazzstandardspoll]

Round 3 of the Jazz Standards Tournament has ended! The results of each poll can be found under the cut. There was a tie on one of the polls, so the remaining 5 jazz standard contestants will participate in Round 4, which begins Sunday, August 25th. Ahead of Round 4, you can submit any additional propaganda via ask. As with the previous round, 1 poll will be posted per day, and each poll will run for a week.

Blue Skies vs Stardust (34.6/65.4)

Dream A Little Of Me vs Fly Me To The Moon (50/50)

All Of Me vs St. Louis Blues (44.7/55.3)

Mack The Knife vs St. James' Infirmary (42.5/57.5)

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

Mack The Knife

St. James' Infirmary

Voting ended onAug 22, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

Mack the Knife (Original title: "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer")

Composed by Kurt Weill , with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht (English lyrics by Marc Blitzstein )

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong (x), Ella Fiztgerald (x), Bobby Darin (x)

Propaganda:

Originally a last-minute addition to the German opera "Die Dreigroschenoper", it was translated into English in 1954 by Marc Blitzstein (it was translated beforehand in 1933, but that run of the opera was unsuccessful, and the 1954 translation is the base for most modern recordings). The following year, Louis Armstrong recorded a version of it in a swing style, and soon after Bobby Darin released (arguably) the most popular recording of the song, solidifying the murder-ballad as a jazz standard.

Additional neat little bit of information (cw mention of rape and arson): The 1954 translation is censored from the German version, as it removes the verses detailing rape and arson, and adds a verse naming several victims of Macheath. Lotte Lenya was the original star of the opera, and is mentioned by name in Louis Armstrong's recording during this additional verse.

St. James' Infirmary

Traditional

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong (x), Cab Calloway (x), Artie Shaw (x)

Propaganda:

i love how this song starts as a lament and then switches on a dime to such a cool, proud, almost bragging defiance of death. and of course that trumpet!! that trombone!!

imo this song exemplifies the rich tapestry of popular music and the links between the jazz standards, the blues, and the english, irish, and appalachian folk traditions. people sort of fight over whether this song is influenced by the unfortunate rake/rakes progress/young trooper cut down in his prime/etc., (musicologist a. l. lloyd’s theory) or not- there’s a whole book about it, “i went down to the st. james infirmary” by robert harwood.

but none of that really matters. if you love the blues and you love folk music this song is like a familiar hug, full of the themes and motifs you recognize but maybe can’t quite pin down. the mysterious origins are part of the fun. extra propaganda: if you know/love/have ever listened to “blind willie mctell” by bob dylan, this song is the father.

i like the way this one sounds but i also think it's historically/anthropologically pretty cool... it's part of the lineage of "the unfortunate rake" which also spawned popular folk songs like "streets of laredo" and possibly "house of the rising sun" (debated among experts but possible), but this one unlike those others was taken up by jazz artists starting in the 1920s and eventually came to be regarded as a jazz standard. fascinating stuff!

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

All Of Me

St. Louis Blues

Voting ended onAug 21, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

All Of Me

Composed by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong (x), Billie Holiday (x), Charlie Parker (x)

Propaganda: an obvious pick maybe, but hey, this is obviously an all time classic. I've always been kind of low key obsessed with the chord progression in this song, even though it's kind of simple it works so well. Just a fantastic classic tin pan alley composition.

St. Louis Blues

Composed by W. C. Handy

Notable versions: Bessie Smith (x), Django Reinhardt (x), Louis Armstrong (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Fly Me To The Moon

Voting ended onAug 20, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Composed by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, with lyrics by Gus Kahn

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (x), Doris Day (x), The Mamas & The Papas (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

Fly Me To The Moon

Composed by Bart Howard

Notable versions: Frank Sinatra (x), Vince Guaraldi (x), Roy Haynes Quartet (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

Blue Skies

Stardust

Voting ended onAug 19, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

Blue Skies

Composed by Irving Berlin

Notable versions: Benny Goodman (x), Art Tatum (x), Ella Fitzgerald (x)

Propaganda: I perform in a high school jazz band and this song was a very popular choice at our local jazz festivals this year for good reason- it's a really great song to show off a vocalist's talent and has wonderful lyrics about enjoying your life.

Stardust

Composed by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics by Mitchell Parish

Notable versions: Hoagy Carmichael (x), Nat King Cole (x), Samara Joy (x)

Propaganda: For a long time, this was arguably THEE jazz standard. To quote writer Will Friedwald: “By the mid-1950s…’Star Dust’ had already been around for twenty five years and was long established as the most popular of popular songs…[and] had also become archetypal Tin Pan Alley: its dreamy, somewhat meandering melody had inspired hundreds of other tunes, its metaphor lyric had launched God knows how many other reveries of love and loss.” Stardust isn’t just a song, it’s an institution, the forgotten bedrock of popular music before rock’n’roll. It’s been endlessly covered by both jazz bands and singers since 1927, but one of the most famous versions is by country singer Willie Nelson. I love that version, and the one by Samara Joy is transcendental. But to me, the absolute definitive version is by Nat King Cole, no questions asked. It perfectly captures the yearning for a lost love, while looking up at a sky full of stars.

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

Mack The Knife

St. James' Infirmary

Voting ended onAug 22, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

Mack the Knife (Original title: "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer")

Composed by Kurt Weill , with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht (English lyrics by Marc Blitzstein )

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong (x), Ella Fiztgerald (x), Bobby Darin (x)

Propaganda:

Originally a last-minute addition to the German opera "Die Dreigroschenoper", it was translated into English in 1954 by Marc Blitzstein (it was translated beforehand in 1933, but that run of the opera was unsuccessful, and the 1954 translation is the base for most modern recordings). The following year, Louis Armstrong recorded a version of it in a swing style, and soon after Bobby Darin released (arguably) the most popular recording of the song, solidifying the murder-ballad as a jazz standard.

Additional neat little bit of information (cw mention of rape and arson): The 1954 translation is censored from the German version, as it removes the verses detailing rape and arson, and adds a verse naming several victims of Macheath. Lotte Lenya was the original star of the opera, and is mentioned by name in Louis Armstrong's recording during this additional verse.

St. James' Infirmary

Traditional

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong (x), Cab Calloway (x), Artie Shaw (x)

Propaganda:

i love how this song starts as a lament and then switches on a dime to such a cool, proud, almost bragging defiance of death. and of course that trumpet!! that trombone!!

imo this song exemplifies the rich tapestry of popular music and the links between the jazz standards, the blues, and the english, irish, and appalachian folk traditions. people sort of fight over whether this song is influenced by the unfortunate rake/rakes progress/young trooper cut down in his prime/etc., (musicologist a. l. lloyd’s theory) or not- there’s a whole book about it, “i went down to the st. james infirmary” by robert harwood.

but none of that really matters. if you love the blues and you love folk music this song is like a familiar hug, full of the themes and motifs you recognize but maybe can’t quite pin down. the mysterious origins are part of the fun. extra propaganda: if you know/love/have ever listened to “blind willie mctell” by bob dylan, this song is the father.

i like the way this one sounds but i also think it's historically/anthropologically pretty cool... it's part of the lineage of "the unfortunate rake" which also spawned popular folk songs like "streets of laredo" and possibly "house of the rising sun" (debated among experts but possible), but this one unlike those others was taken up by jazz artists starting in the 1920s and eventually came to be regarded as a jazz standard. fascinating stuff!

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

All Of Me

St. Louis Blues

Voting ended onAug 21, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

All Of Me

Composed by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong (x), Billie Holiday (x), Charlie Parker (x)

Propaganda: an obvious pick maybe, but hey, this is obviously an all time classic. I've always been kind of low key obsessed with the chord progression in this song, even though it's kind of simple it works so well. Just a fantastic classic tin pan alley composition.

St. Louis Blues

Composed by W. C. Handy

Notable versions: Bessie Smith (x), Django Reinhardt (x), Louis Armstrong (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

[jazzstandardspoll]

Which jazz standard is better?

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Fly Me To The Moon

Voting ended onAug 20, 2024

Descriptions & Propaganda

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Composed by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, with lyrics by Gus Kahn

Notable versions: Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (x), Doris Day (x), The Mamas & The Papas (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.

Fly Me To The Moon

Composed by Bart Howard

Notable versions: Frank Sinatra (x), Vince Guaraldi (x), Roy Haynes Quartet (x)

Propaganda: None submitted.