Beyond the Basics: Expanding Your Jazz Repertoire

At the beginning of every session of The Jazz Workshop, there is a question that must be answered: "What tune are we going to play?" This seemingly simple question is foundational to the jazz experience. Straight-ahead jazz is a highly traditional form of music that draws from a "standard repertoire," and all those who aspire to play jazz must become familiar with at least some of these tunes.

Building a Jazz Foundation

We have a master list of approximately 180 tunes—a daunting number, but professional jazz musicians typically know many more—and we generally draw from this list when we're putting together a new "tranche" of tunes for our groups. This is a core part of what we work on together: slowly and steadily becoming familiar with the most important jazz tunes, and in doing so, learning more about how music works, how to play and embellish melodies, and how these chord structures can be used as a basis for improvisation.

Some members have been in the Workshop for 10, 12, 15 years now (and longer!). It's remarkable how many tunes you can learn in that time. We often end up having to go "off-list" to find fresh material to explore. And of course, the jazz repertoire is so vast that we'll never truly run out of tunes to play.

The Next 180: A New Horizon

I've found myself wondering at times: what comes after our original list? If our current list represents the most important, relevant tunes in the repertoire—the ones most likely to be called at gigs and jam sessions—then what's next? What would this "Next 180 list" look like?

To answer this question, I embarked on a comprehensive research project. I examined all 1,000 tunes listed at jazzstandards.com, reviewed "required repertoire" lists from jazz departments at major universities, and consulted several authoritative sources:

• Mark Levine's list from "The Jazz Theory Book"

• Ted Gioia's list of 250 tunes from "The Jazz Standards"

• Orlando LeFleming's "NYC Jazz Bass Checklist" (all amazing resources)

• Will Lyle's list of 700 essential standards (which includes a supplemental list of 20 important tunes to know if you go to a jam session in New York)

A Little Help from AI

When I reached about 175 tunes and wanted to round out the list to a full 180 that felt essential, I even turned to ChatGPT. I uploaded all the tunes from our original list and this new compilation and asked, "what am I missing?"

I must say, I was impressed with the results! The AI understood that I was prioritizing "real-world gig/jam utility" over historical curiosity or "deep cuts." Its suggestions were remarkably insightful—one recommendation was "Serenade to a Cuckoo," which I was stunned to have overlooked.

The Result: 180 More Essential Tunes

Standing on the shoulders of giants and drawing from lists created by highly knowledgeable musicians, I've compiled a list of 180 additional tunes that I wholeheartedly endorse. These are the tunes with the highest degree of relevance for today's jazz musicians who want to be prepared for any musical situation. And it goes without saying that these are incredible compositions in their own right.

You can find the complete list here. I'm proud to offer this as a resource we can draw from as we decide on future tune lists together. My hope is that it will inspire you, support your musical development, and serve as a valuable reference going forward.

If you have any questions about any of these tunes, please send me an email—or better yet, let's discuss it at the Workshop!

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Written by Paul Pieper, Director of The Jazz Workshop, where he helps musicians of all levels develop their improvisation skills through practical, real-world approaches to jazz education.