Back for another round of Jazz Voices, a playlist curated with a deep love for jazz, that brings you the legends and storytellers who made every note unforgettable.
| Title | Artist | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) | Ella Fitzgerald | Written by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills, this jazz classic celebrates the power of swing. Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song,” was famous for her impeccable scat singing and smooth delivery. |
| Sweet Georgia Brown | Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey & Maceo Pinkard | “Sweet Georgia Brown” is a jazz standard composed in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard, with lyrics by Kenneth Casey. It is a playful tune about a charming woman, later adopted by the Harlem Globetrotters. Ben Bernie was a jazz violinist and early radio star known for blending music with humour. The tune was first recorded on March 19, 1925, by bandleader Bernie, resulting in five weeks at number one for Ben Bernie and his Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra |
| Perdido | Sarah Vaughan | Originally composed by Juan Tizol for Duke Ellington’s band, this jazz standard describes a wandering soul searching for direction. Sarah Vaughan, “The Divine One,” was known for her operatic vocal range and deep emotional expression. |
| My Shining Hour | Chris Connor | A wartime morale booster about hope and resilience. Chris Connor was a pioneering female jazz vocalist who helped define the cool jazz vocal style. |
| I’m Tired of Crying Over You | Buddy Johnson & Ella Johnson | A blues-infused track about heartbreak. Buddy Johnson, a big-band leader, and his sister Ella Johnson brought a mix of swing and blues to the jazz world. |
| Armstrong | Claude Nougaro | A tribute to Louis Armstrong, celebrating his impact on jazz and culture. Nougaro was a French singer-songwriter known for blending jazz, poetry, and chanson. |
| When The Saints Go Marching In (Traditional, Jazz Standard) | Louis Armstrong | A gospel hymn turned jazz classic, symbolizing hope and redemption. Louis Armstrong, the father of jazz, transformed many traditional songs into lively swing versions. |
| Minnie the Moocher | Cab Calloway | A swing classic about a woman caught up in jazz nightlife. Cab Calloway was a flamboyant bandleader known for his energetic performances and the famous “hi-de-ho” call-and-response. |
| Have You Met Miss Jones? | Robbie Williams | Originally written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, this song humorously describes a chance meeting that sparks love. Robbie Williams, known for pop, explored jazz and swing in his career, influenced by legends like Sinatra. |
| I Get a Kick Out of You | Frank Sinatra | Originally written by Cole Porter, this witty song contrasts the thrill of love with other “kicks” like champagne and airplanes. Sinatra’s version is one of the most famous, showcasing his effortless phrasing. |
| You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You | Sammy Davis Jr. & Count Basie | Originally recorded by Russ Morgan, this song emphasizes that true success means nothing without love. Sammy Davis Jr., a multitalented performer, and Count Basie, a jazz giant, brought swing and soul to the track. |
| More | Bobby Darin | Originally written by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero as the theme for Mondo Cane, this song expresses an intense, endless love. Darin’s version added a jazz-pop sensibility that made it a standout hit. |
| Call Me Irresponsible | Michael Bublé | Originally written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, this song playfully embraces being a flawed but passionate lover. Bublé modernized classic jazz and big band sounds, keeping the Sinatra-style crooning alive. |
| These Are The Days | Jamie Cullum | A reflection on youth and nostalgia. Jamie Cullum is a jazz-pop pianist and singer known for blending jazz improvisation with contemporary pop. |
| Bluesette | Sofie | Bluesette is the sound of a Belgian Legend, composed and first recorded by Toots Thielemans in 1962, with lyrics added by Norman Gimbel. Sofie is a Belgian singer, born in Antwerp (born Sofie Thérèse Verbruggen May 8, 1956) as the granddaughter of opera singer Mina Bollotine. She got into singing at an early age and has been performing both as a solo artist and together with her band Sofie & So Four ever since. |
| Between The Devil And The Deep Blue See (ft. Madeleine Peyroux) | Toots Thielemans | Originally written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler, this song describes being trapped between two difficult choices. Jazz icon Toots Thielemans (Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans, born in Brussels on 29 april 1922 and died in Eigenbrakel on 22 augustus 2016), the ‘ketje’ from the Marollen district of Brussels, was an excellent guitarist and whistler, who ultimately became one of the best harmonica players who ever lived. Toots filled concert halls all over the world with his virtuosic playing, but he always remained a Belgian at heart. Madeleine Peyroux (born 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter, often compared to Billie Holiday. After her parents’ divorce she moved with her mother to Paris, France where she began her career as a teenager on the streets of the Latin Quarter. |
| You Don’t Know Me | Ray Charles with Diana Krall | Originally written by Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold, this song tells the story of unspoken love. Ray Charles transformed the country ballad into a soulful jazz masterpiece, and Diana Krall added elegance. |
| Sweet Potato Pie | Ray Charles with James Taylor | Written by James Taylor and Robert McDill, this song uses sweet potato pie as a metaphor for warmth, comfort, and home. |
| Space Captain (ft. Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi) | Herbie Hancock | Originally written by Matthew Moore, this song tells a surreal, hopeful story of a space traveler bringing wisdom back to Earth. Herbie Hancock, a jazz-fusion pioneer, constantly reinvented the genre. Susan Tedeschi’s voice has been described as a blend of Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin, both of whom she claims as influences.Tedeschi is a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, a conglomeration of her band, her husband Derek Trucks’ band, and other musicians. They have two children: Charles Kahlil Trucks (March 2002) named for saxophonist Charlie Parker, guitarist Charlie Christian, and author Kahlil Gibran; and Sophia Naima Trucks (2004), who takes her middle name from the ballad composed by John Coltrane, in honor of his first wife. |
| My Favorite Things (ft. Anita Baker) | Cyrus Chestnut | Originally written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for The Sound of Music, this song finds joy in life’s little pleasures. Chestnut’s version merges gospel, swing, and blues with Baker’s soulful vocals. Anita Denise Baker (Born January 26, 1958 in Toledo, Ohio, USA.) is an American Eight-time Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum R&B/Soul Singer and Songwriter, renowned for her soaring alto vocal range. |
| Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise | Dianne Reeves | Originally composed by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II, this song compares love’s awakening to a sunrise. Dianne Reeves, a Grammy-winning jazz vocalist, infused it with powerful improvisation. Dianne Reeves uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, and her cousin is George Duke. |
| On the Sunny Side of the Street | Roberta Gambarini | “On the Sunny Side of the Street” is a 1930 jazz standard composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, encouraging optimism. Roberta Gambarini (born Turin, Italy), an Italian technically brilliant modern jazz singer based in the USA, brought a fresh elegance to this classic. |
| Stormy Blues (ft. B.B. King) | Billie Holiday | Originally written by Billie Holiday, this slow blues lament describes enduring emotional pain after a love affair ends. B.B. King’s guitar work added extra depth to this version. |
| The Good Life | Shirley Horn | Originally written by Sacha Distel and Jack Reardon, this song suggests that wealth and luxury are meaningless without love. Shirley Horn’s version is one of the most intimate interpretations of the song. Shirley Valerie Horn was an American jazz singer and pianist (born May 1, 1934, Washington, D.C.) |
| Fever | Peggy Lee | Originally written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, Peggy Lee’s sultry version added new lyrics and a minimalist arrangement, turning it into a jazz classic about passion and desire. Peggy Lee, born Norma Deloris Egstrom on May 26, 1920 in Jamestown, North DakotaIn 1986, became the first female recipient of the Songwriters Guild of America’s Aggie and President Awards, the former honoring Lee for her composing skills, the latter for her support of young, emerging songwriters. ASCAP’s Pied Piper Award followed in 1990, and her induction into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame came in 1999. |
Sources
The information sources of the song facts include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, songfacts.com, discogs.com, secondhandsongs.com, YouTube and artists’ related websites.
