Least favorite jazz standard

**Average Joe** · 01-04-2013, 04:11 AM

I only hate the ones I can't play

Honestly, I don't have hated standards in an absolute sense, only songs I wouldn't mind not playing for a while cause I've played them too often: The Shadow of Your Smile, Misty, Wave and Blue Moon come to mind

**hot ford coupe** · 01-04-2013, 03:12 PM

I guess that my least favorite standards are those I have a lot of difficulty playing. The thing is that when I finally learn how to play them, they don't seem so bad after all. I think what would make a tune least likeable would be the arrangement rather than the melody. I've heard a number of arrangements of songs that are as square and uninspiring as you can get. Add a few good substitutes, some moving voices and a few new rhythms and phrasing patterns and you can get some pretty good tunes.

**jtizzle** · 01-04-2013, 04:04 PM

Tunes I hate the most? Summertime and Song For My Father... Jesus christ I hate those songs.
Tunes I dislike, but I'll play: Autumn Leaves and Cantelope Island
Favorite tunes: ATTYA, Stella

**ah.clem** · 01-04-2013, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by coolvinny

Watermelon Man.

+1 and add "Summertime", "Tangerine", Tune Up", "Giant Steps" and "Misty", "Fever", "Summertime Down South". Not because they are really bad tunes (well, "Watermelon Man" and "Tangerine" grate on me, big time) but because I was in a band that played the crap out of these tunes during the "open mike" set. Oh, and any Bb/Eb blues called out at an "open mike". Working open mikes/open jams made me realize just how high vomit could rise in my throat and still be tamped down (just kidding, but man... there were some rough moments at times... had most of an audience walk out one night, but the owner insisted on them).

**John Link** · 01-05-2013, 10:27 AM

Girl Talk

**Steve Montgomery** · 02-05-2013, 08:08 PM

Did you ever hear McCoy Tyner's version on "Fly Like the Wind"? Still sounds fresh.

**Stevebol** · 02-05-2013, 08:51 PM

'My Little Suede Loafers'

Haven't done 'Girl from Ipa knee ma' yet but I'm not looking forward to it.

"Filings"

Filings, tiny metal
filings
Trying to forget, my......
Filings of love

**AmundLauritzen** · 02-05-2013, 11:54 PM

"Gentle Rain". The singing ladies seem to love this one and none of them like the same keys. It's usually played as a bossa nova. I just think there are so many better options in the bossa repertoire, especially for melancholic tunes.
The series of m7b5's just sound so forced to me. It works nice in Stella, but in Gentle Rain it just drags the tune down into a miserable pit.
Different strokes for different folks. I just don't like that tune.

"Satin Doll". This ones sounds cheesy unless you're Oscar Peterson. Oscars version of that tune on the Vienna DVD is just killer. But he was something else. I think his version is just about the only version of the tune that doesn't sound like a cheese factory to me.
I occasionally practice the tune, but only because it's called out often.

"Perdido". I love to play on the changes but the melody isn't quite my cup of tea. I'd rather play "Scrapple" as the melody or something else.

I have a love-hate relationship with "Lush Life". It's a fantastic composition, but those changes are so hard to play on. It kind of directs the improv in a certain way. I don't feel very free on those changes.
It's the same with "Willow Weep for Me". Man do I love Wes' playing on that tune on the live record with Wyntons trio!
Wonderful tune, but very awkward chord changes in some places that just throw me off.

I generally prefer instrumental jazz because the lyrics in jazz, well, most of the times it's cringeworthy.
I love to play with good singers though and it always helps when they pick songs that have decent lyrics, or songs that aren't overplayed.

**Scot63** · 02-06-2013, 02:20 PM

How about Neil Hefti's "Girl Talk"? Really nice harmonically—but the lyrics are almost scandalously misogynistic, even by 1960s standards.

**eddy b.** · 02-06-2013, 02:32 PM

"Hello Dolly", "Mack the Knife", both just make me feel like giving up my gig and becoming a predatory lender or defense attorney for the mob...hehehehe...well maybe not that bad but you get the picture.

**Stevebol** · 02-06-2013, 02:34 PM

"I'm as helpless as a kitten on a tree"

Mmm, is that something you would want to admit in public?

**Stevebol** · 02-06-2013, 02:45 PM

I look at the lyrics to a lot these songs and I'm thinking, why didn't they talk about something neutral like nature? Talk about the moon and stars or something.

All the declarations of love are just too much. I like a little reality as in; your'e going to be sorry you dumped me, why are you always broke, everyone can see through me, or something like that.

**Steve Montgomery** · 02-06-2013, 10:47 PM

I think I stopped having least favorite tunes after I played bass for piano player Ricky Diaz (Houston) on a pop gig. He turned both New York, New York and Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree into works of art. The same type comment could easily be made for what Art Tatum could do for a little ditty. It's really just the version/arrangement/performance of a tune that makes it stink.

**RonD** · 02-06-2013, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Montgomery

I think I stopped having least favorite tunes after I played bass for piano player Ricky Diaz (Houston) on a pop gig. He turned both New York, New York and Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree into works of art. The same type comment could easily be made for what Art Tatum could do for a little ditty. It's really just the version/arrangement/performance of a tune that makes it stink.

Much wisdom here. Thanks Steve.

Cheers, Ron

**bondmorkret** · 02-07-2013, 07:01 AM

Prelude to a Kiss - the melody grates on me!

**Tag** · 02-07-2013, 02:19 PM

Autumn leaves. I like it when others play it, but I can never seem to find a groove for more than a chorus or two.

**whatswisdom** · 01-02-2014, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by jeffstritt

My Favorite Things, My Funny Valentine, Fly Me to the Moon, All of Me. Although this is getting a little negative, maybe we should are our favorites?I Hear A Raphsody, Stella By Starlight, Body and Soul, The Song is You, and Darn that Dream.

All of Me

All of You

I hate the first as much I love the second. Happy 2014!

TF · 01-06-2014, 03:51 PM

All Blues. There is no reason that anyone should play this tune.

TF · 01-06-2014, 05:46 PM

Addition to my previous post: "... unless you are Miles Davis and it is the year 1959."

This rules out most of us, I believe.

**targuit** · 01-06-2014, 05:58 PM

Cherokee - cannot stand that song.

**mangotango** · 01-06-2014, 06:44 PM

Hello Dolly, yeh that makes me wince just thinking about it. And Stranger On The Shore, but Utter Bilge. How many times have prople asked for that....once would be too many for me.

Always get asked for Ipanema, Take 5, Stranger on the Shore. I tell myself if we get a request and I have to play Stranger, then I get to play a tune of my choice to balance things up. "Yeh, we've had a request for "Little Sunflower" from the guy at the back over there........."