pop tunes written after 1965 that have become genuine jazz standards

[Sundog]

"Never Can Say Goodbye" should qualify. Been covered by some jazz heavy weights. The thread prompted me to pull out Larry Ridley's, Sum of The Parts album, which contains a nice version of the tune featuring "Uncle Funky" on guitar.

Edited October 2, 2007 by Sundog

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

"Never Can Say Goodbye" should qualify. Been covered by some jazz heavy weights. The thread prompted me to pull out Larry Ridley's, Sum of The Parts album, which contains a nice version of the tune featuring "Uncle Funky" on guitar.

Yes, that's one I should have picked up.

MG

[aparxa]

Comme d'habitude [My Way] (Claude François & Jacques Revaux, 1967)

[Teasing the Korean]

TTK, call me superficial! I think the problem is that for the past forty years the major songwriters have been "singer-songwriters". The problem with that is that for singers they are pretty good songwriters, and for songwriters they are pretty good singers. But together they total mediocrity in both of what they do.

When you think of the great songwriters from 1930 to 1960, how many could sing or otherwise entertain?

I largely agree with you, but it's too easily to overlook melodically/harmonically complex songs by people like Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Bacharach etc. As much as we love jazz around here, and as much as we admire jazz musicians, they can fall into familiar, comfortable patterns as easily as anyone. A lot of post Beatles pop songs don't have the type of harmonic structure that many jazz musicians like to blow over. I will admit that this is a gross generalization, but I think there is some truth to this.

When I used the word "superficial," I simply meant that the first argument could be used as a smokescreen to mask some other reasons for the break between pop and jazz; I didn't mean to imply that it was superficial to believe that.

[Matthew]

This might be off topic a bit but one of the reasons that smooth jazz is so popular is that it does cover these great songs from the 1961 to present era. I listen to the local smooth jazz station while driving (I can't really listen when driving so I use music as background) and you hear Motown, R & B, Rock and jazz classics being covered, as well as contemporary "pop" songs. Say what you will about the whole smooth jazz thing, but that is one positive thing that it does, it attracts a lot of people by covering these songs that "legit jazz" ignores.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

This might be off topic a bit but one of the reasons that smooth jazz is so popular is that it does cover these great songs from the 1961 to present era. I listen to the local smooth jazz station while driving (I can't really listen when driving so I use music as background) and you hear Motown, R & B, Rock and jazz classics being covered, as well as contemporary "pop" songs. Say what you will about the whole smooth jazz thing, but that is one positive thing that it does, it attracts a lot of people by covering these songs that "legit jazz" ignores.

Interesting point, Matthew.

MG

[danasgoodstuff]

The Spooky/Stormy/Sunny trio was recorded by almost evryone (slight hyperbole) back in the day but that's pretty close to our cutoff and the're not done so much since.

[danasgoodstuff]

The Spooky/Stormy/Sunny trio was recorded by almost evryone (slight hyperbole) back in the day but that's pretty close to our cutoff and the're not done so much since.