Songs & Goals for Intermediate Combos

Song Selection Criteria 

• Limited to one or two key centers (or tonalities) within a song 
• Up to 5 or 6 key centers/tonal centers
• Time signatures other than 4/4 encouraged (3/4 is highly encouraged)
• SOME adventurous harmony is encouraged (diminished 7ths, altered dominants, augmented 7ths)
• Faster harmonic motion with few key changes
• More key changes with slower harmonic motion
• (Avoid fast harmonic motion with frequent key changes)
• Most genres and feels are encouraged (including ballads), at least one standard is recommended 
• Jazz blues’ progressions should include II Vs and/or secondary dominant
• Longer forms, intros, outros, etc.. are encouraged
• Student originals and original arrangements are always encouraged

Examples:

Song Title	Style	Composer	Model Recordings
Angel Eyes	Ballad	Matt Dennis	Sonny Stitt - The Last Sessions
Body And Soul	Ballad	Johnny Green	Art Pepper - Unreleased Art Vol 1 Coleman Hawkins - Jazz Indespensable John Coltrane - Coltrane's Sound Dexter Gordon - Body and Soul Art Pepper - Playboy Jazz Series: Jazz Love Songs After Dark
In A Sentimental Mood	Ballad	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Lament	Ballad	J.J. Johnson	J. J. Johnson - Origins, The Savoy Sessions
Mood Indigo	Ballad	Duke Ellington	Charles Mingus - Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus
My Foolish Heart	Ballad	Washington & Young	Stan Getz - My Foolish Heart Live at the Left Bank Charlie Haden - Quartet West
My Funny Valentine	Ballad	Rodgers & Hart	Miles Davis - Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet Ben Webster & Teddy Wilson - Jazz 'Round Midnight: Ben Webster
Peace	Ballad	Horace Silver	Horace Silver - Blowin' the Blues Away
Polka Dots And Moonbeams	Ballad	Burke & Huesen	Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery Lester Young - Verve Jazz Masters 30: Lester Young Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol 2 Chet Baker - Chet Baker in New York Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
Prelude To A Kiss	Ballad	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington - Duke Ellington's Greatest Hits Duke Ellington - Piano Reflections Jim Hall & Ron Carter - Alone Together Keith Jarrett - Whisper Not
Skylark	Ballad	Hoagy Carmichael	Abbey Lincoln - It's Me Jim Hall - Jim Hall's Three Keith Jarrett - At The Blue Note
Soul Eyes	Ballad	Mal Waldron	John Coltrane - Coltrane
Stairway To The Stars	Ballad	Malneck, Parish, Signorelli	Sonny Stitt - Stitt's Bits: The Bebop Recordings, 1949-52 Wes Montgomery & Milt Jackson - Keepnews Collection: Bags Meets Wes
Summertime	Ballad	George Gershwin	Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Pure Ella Oscar Peterson - Mellow Mood
What's New	Ballad	Bob Haggart	Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly - Smokin' at the Half Note Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson
When Sunny Gets Blue	Ballad	Segal & Fisher	Anita O'Day - Anita O'Day's Finest Hour Sonny Criss - This is Criss! McCoy Tyner - Today and Tomorrow
When You Wish Upon A Star	Ballad	Harline & Washington	Dave Brubeck - Dave Digs Disney Gene Harris - Brotherhood Louis Armstrong - Disney Songs the Satchmo Way
Yesterdays	Ballad	Jerome Kern	Benny Golson - Groovin' With Golson Clifford Brown - Clifford Brown's Finest Hour
A Child Is Born	Ballad 3/4	Thad Jones	Thad Jones & Mel Lewis - Consumation
Bags Groove	Blues	Milt Jackson	Miles Davis - Bag's Groove Oscar Peterson - Night Train
Billie's Bounce	Blues	Charlie Parker	Charlie Parker - Timeless: Charlie Parker Oscar Peterson Trio - Encore at the Blue Note
Blue 'N' Boogie	Blues	Charlie Parker	Miles Davis All-Stars - Walkin'
Blue 7	Blues	Sonny Rollins	Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Blue Monk	Blues	Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk - Thelonious in Action
Blue Train	Blues	John Coltrane	John Coltrane - Blue Train
Blues For Gene	Blues	Milt Jackson	Milt Jackson - Soul Route
Blues In The Closet	Blues	Oscar Pettiford	Red Garland Trio at the Prelude
Blues Walk	Blues	Clifford Brown	Clifford Brown and Max Roach
C Jam Blues	Blues	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington - Blues in Orbit Red Garland - Groovy
Centerpiece	Blues	Edison & Tennyson	Milt Jackson & John Coltrane - Bags & Trane
Dejection Blues	Blues	Milt Jackson	Milt Jackson - Soul Route
Doodlin'	Blues	Horace Silver	Doodlin' - Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers
Freddy Freeloader	Blues	Miles Davis	Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Groove Blues	Blues	Steve Turre	Steve Turre - Rainbow People
Hey Now	Blues	Red Garland	Red Garland - Groovy
Miss Jackie's Delight	Blues	Gene Wright	Cannonball Adderley - Sophisticated Swing
Misterioso	Blues	Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk - Monk's Greatest Hits
No Name Blues	Blues	Bud Powell	Bud Powell - A Portrait of Thelonious
Now's The Time	Blues	Charlie Parker	Charlie Parker - Now's the Time Charlie Parker - The Essential Charlie Parker Charlie Parker - Live at Storyville Charlie Parker: Ken Burns Jazz: Definitive Charlie Parker
One For Daddy-O	Blues	Nat Adderley	Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Raise Four	Blues	Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk - Underground
Sandu	Blues	Clifford Brown	Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Study in Brown
Sonnymoon For Two	Blues	Sonny Rollins	Sonny Rollins - Lust for Life Sonny Rollins - The Very Best
Straight No Chaser	Blues	Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Monk's Greatest Hits Thelonious Monk - Monk in Tokyo Thelonious Monk - The Composer Thelonious Monk - Mulligan Meets Monk Thelonious Monk - The Definitive Thelonious Monk on Prestige and Riverside
Tenor Madness	Blues	Sonny Rollins	Sonny Rollins - Tenor Madness
The Blues Walk	Blues	Clifford Brown	Clifford Brown & Max Roach
Things Ain't What They Used To Be	Blues	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington - The Great Paris Concert Gene Harris - The Gene Harris Trio Plus One Oscar Peterson - Night Train
Trane's Slow Blues	Blues	John Coltrane	John Coltrane - Traneing In
Walkin'	Blues	Carpenter & Ammons	Miles Davis All-Stars - Walkin'
West Coast Blues	Blues	Wes Montgomery	Wes Montgomery - Blue Jazz Guitar Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Black Orpheus	Bossa Nova	Luiz Bonfa	Hank Jones, Mads Vinding & Billy Hart - Standard Collection Vol. 2
Gentle Rain	Bossa Nova	Luiz Bonfa	Luiz Bonfa - Non-Stop to Brazil
One Note Samba	Bossa Nova	Antonio Carlos Jobim	Stan Getz - Getz Plays Jobim Stan Getz - Verve Jazz Masters 53: Stan Getz Bossa Nova
Wave	Bossa Nova	Antonio Carlos Jobim	Antonio Carlos Jobim - Bossa Nova for Lovers Ahmad Jamal Trio - The Awakening Paul Desmond - Pure Desmond
Chitlins Con Carne	Funky	Kenny Burrell	Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue
Blue Bossa	Latin	Kenny Dorham	Joe Henderson - Page One
Recorda Me	Latin	Joe Henderson	Joe Henderson - Page One
Salt Song	Latin	Milton Nascimento	Stanley Turrentine - Salt Song
Senor Blues	Latin	Horace Silver	Horace Silver - The Best of Horace Silver Horace Silver - Six Pieces of Silver
Song For My Father	Latin	Horace Silver	Horace Silver - Song for my Father
Summer Samba	Latin	Marcos Valle	Oscar Peterson - The Lamp Is Low
Afternoon In Paris	Med Swing	John Lewis	John Lewis - Afternoon In Paris
All Of Me	Med Swing	Marks & Simmons	Oscar Peterson - A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra
Autumn Leaves	Med Swing	Johnny Mercer	Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Beautiful Love	Med Swing	King, Young, Alstyne & Gillespie	McCoy Tyner Quartet - New York Reunion
Bernie's Tune	Med Swing	Bernard Miller	Gerry Mulligan - Gerry Mulligan Quartet
Birk's Works	Med Swing	Dizzy Gillespie	Dizzy Gillespie - Odyssey 1945-1952
But Not For Me	Med Swing	George & Ira Gershwin	Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano
Bye Bye Blackbird	Med Swing	Ray Henderson	Miles Davis - 'Round About Midnight
Four	Med Swing	Miles Davis	Miles Davis - Blue Haze
Green Chimneys	Med Swing	Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk - Ken Burns Jazz: Thelonious Monk
Have You Met Miss Jones	Med Swing	Rodgers & Hart	Oscar Peterson Trio - We Get Requests
How High The Moon	Med Swing	Morgan Lewis	Sonny Rollins - The Freelance Years Tommy Flanagan - Lady Be Good... For Ella
In A Mellow Tone	Med Swing	Duke Ellington	The Complete Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster Sessions
In Walked Bud	Med Swing	Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk - The Columbia Years '62-'68
It Don't Mean A Thing	Med Swing	Duke Ellington	Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington - The Great Summit  Ella Fitzgerald - The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books
Killer Joe	Med Swing	Benny Golson	Art Farmer & Benny Golson - Meet The Jazztet
Lady Bird	Med Swing	Tad Dameron	Fats Navarro & Tadd Dameron
Like Someone In Love	Med Swing	Van Heusen & Burke	Cedar Walton Trio - After Hours, Dave Brubeck Quartet - The Great Concerts
Lullaby Of Birdland	Med Swing	George Shearing	Sarah Vaughan & Clifford Brown - Desert Island Disks: Sarah Vaughan
Mellow Minor	Med Swing	McCoy Tyner	McCoy Tyner Trio - Infinity
My Romance	Med Swing	Rodgers & Hart	Ray Brown - The Ray Brown Trio
Nutty	Med Swing	Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk - Live at the Jazz Workshop
Perdido	Med Swing	Juan Tizol	Bud Powell Quintet - Jazz at Massey Hall Duke Ellington - Live at the Blue Note
Satin Doll	Med Swing	Duke Ellington	Dexter Gordon - Dextrose Dexter Gordon - Billie's Bounce Bud Powell - Bud Powell in Paris McCoy Tyner - Nights of Ballads and Blues Ben Webster - The Soul of Ben Webster
So What	Med Swing	Miles Davis	Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Softly As In A Morning Sunrise	Med Swing	Romberg & Hammerstein	Wynton Kelly Trio - Kelly Blue John Coltrane Quartet - The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings John Coltrane Quartet - Live at the Village Vanguard
Solar	Med Swing	Miles Davis	Miles Davis All-Stars - Walkin'
Star Eyes	Med Swing	Don Raye & Gene de Paul	Charlie Parker - The Essential Charlie Parker Dexter Gordon - The Jumpin' Blues
Stolen Moments	Med Swing	Oliver Nelson	Ahmad Jamal Trio - The Awakening Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth
Sugar	Med Swing	Stanley Turrentine	Stanley Turrentine - Sugar
Sweet And Lovely	Med Swing	Arnheim, Daniels & Tobias	Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane - Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane Live at Carnegie Hall
Take The "A" Train	Med Swing	Billy Strayhorn	Duke Ellington - A Portrait of Duke Ellington Duke Ellington - Never No Lament Clifford Brown and Max Roach - Study in Brown Oscar Peterson - Plays the Duke Ellington Songbook Joe Henderson - Lush Life
The Preacher	Med Swing	Horace Silver	Horace Silver - Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers
There Will Never Be Another You	Med Swing	Harry Warren	Lester Young - Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio Dexter Gordon - Body and Soul
They Can't Take That Away From Me	Med Swing	Gershwin & Gershwin	Dizzy Gillespie - The Best of Oddyssey - '45-'52
Tune Up	Med Swing	Eddie Vinson	Miles Davis - Blue Haze
Well You Needn't	Med Swing	Thelonious Monk	Thelonious Monk - Greatest Hits
What Is This Thing Called Love	Med Swing	Cole Porter	Clifford Brown & Max Roach - At Basin Street Ella Fitzgerald - Sings the Cole Porter Songbook Bill Evans - Portrait in Jazz
When Lights Are Low	Med Swing	Benny Carter	Miles Davis - The Best of Miles
Work Song	Med Swing	Nat Adderley	Cannonball Adderley - Greatest Hits
You And The Night And The Music	Med Swing	Dietz & Schwartz	Bill Evans Quintet - Interplay Sessions
Little Sunflower	Straight 8th	Freddie Hubbard	Freddy Hubbard - Backlash
All Blues	Various	Miles Davis	Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
I'll Be Seeing You	Various	Kahal & Fain	Sonny Stitt - The Last Sessions vols 1&2
Night And Day	Various	Cole Porter	Stan Getz - The Very Best of Stan Getz Django Reinhardt - Swingin' With Django
On Green Dolphin Street	Various	Kaper & Washington	Miles Davis - '58 Sessions
Once In a While	Various	Michael Edward	Clifford Brown & Art Blakey - Th'is is Jazz
Speak Low	Various	Kurt Weill	Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Relaxes Chet Baker - Chet in Paris Chet Baker - Tentet and Quartet John Coltrane - The Art of John Coltrane
Bluesette	Waltz	Toots Thielemans	Joe Pass - Blues Dues
Someday My Prince Will Come	Waltz	Churchill & Morey	Miles Davis - Someday My Prince Will Come

Goals For All Instruments

• Learn two songs per quarter, preferably at least one song learned aurally
• Discuss the music being learned, its composer(s) and performers, and their musical and life experiences
• Play in sync rhythmically is a primary goal at all time 
• Demonstrate clear melodic phrasing - question and answer - singability - space
• Can clearly articulate harmonic movement with melodic improvisation (targeting 3rds and 7ths of chords)
• Form and chord progression of all tunes in repertoire memorized
• Has control and awareness of dynamic levels in the context of the ensemble and as a soloist, in terms of balancing instruments and shaping arrangement 
• Continue developing swing and straight 8th feels through the class repertoire
• Awareness of “Do” (the root of a song’s key) at all times in all tunes in the repertoire

Goals By Instrument

Drums

• Heavy triplet feel in the swing groove
• Active on the ride symbol, more than quarter notes, improvised
• Active snare which is improvised and reactive 
• Comfortable with swing, shuffle, bossa, 6/8 afro-cuban, ECM (straight 8ths) feels 
• Experience playing fills to mark the form and solos
• Texture changes based on song form and solo order
• Melodies (chord changes if possible) to all tunes memorized 
• Ability to keep form while soloing, and quote melody clearly
• Ability to play clear phrases while soloing and cue band in/out
• Can keep form and tempo when playing combo repertoire unaccompanied, for comping and for soloing

Bass

• Walking lines include some 8th notes and triplets
• Walking lines include chromatics and longer arcs
• Basslines not always starting chords on the root
• Comfortable with swing, shuffle, bossa, 6/8 afro-cuban, ECM (straight 8ths) feels
• Can play the melody to all songs in combo repertoire
• Can use stepwise motion through scales/tonalities for improvisation purposes (melodies and bass lines using major and minor 2nd intervals)
• Can arpeggiate the changes of all combo tunes in time 
• Can keep form and tempo when playing combo repertoire unaccompanied, for bass lines and for soloing

Guitar

• Has at least two or three voicings for every chord in every tune being played (shells, rootless, different registers) to allow for smooth voice leading
• Can add 9ths and 13ths to most chord voicings
• One octave arpeggios of all 7th chords starting from any string 
• Can play the melody to all songs in combo repertoire
• Can use scales/tonalities (not just chord tones) for improvising melodies and can use a variety of rhythms/subdivisions
• Can clearly articulate harmonic movement with melodic improvisation (targeting 3rds and 7ths of chords)
• Can keep form and tempo when playing combo repertoire unaccompanied, for comping and for soloing

Piano

• Can play II V I left hand rootless voicings in all keys 
• Can use 9ths and 13ths in most chord voicings
• Knowledge of all chords by notes (vs. hand positions) - can arpeggiate all 7th chord types across keyboard
• Can use two-handed chord voicings with minimal doubling (e.g. drop 2 voicings)
• Can play the melody to all songs in combo repertoire
• Can use scales/tonalities (not just chord tones) for improvising melodies and can use a variety of rhythms/subdivisions
• Can clearly articulate harmonic movement with melodic improvisation (targeting 3rds and 7ths of chords) 
• Can keep form and tempo when playing combo repertoire unaccompanied, for comping and for soloing

Melody Instrument

• Has all melodies memorized for combo repertoire 
• Has changes to combo repertoire memorized and can play arpeggios for all chords in time 
• Can use scales/tonalities (not just chord tones) for improvising melodies and can use a variety of rhythms/subdivisions
• Can clearly articulate harmonic movement with melodic improvisation (targeting 3rds and 7ths of chords), when playing unaccompanied
• Can play with clearly defined rhythmic styles including swing, latin, and rock/funk
• Can access the upper and lower register of the instrument when appropriate 
• Can play with accurate intonation and pitch control

You can learn more about Jazz Night School levels by reviewing our Student Skill Levels Matrix.