These jazz cover albums spend a whole record rethinking somebody else’s music. Hear what a piano trio does to Nirvana, what a saxophonist finds in a pop song, or how a big band stretches Duke Ellington’s songbook. Each…
Items 42 The creator’s order
1 The New Standard (1996) Released Jan 1, 1996 Compare Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Hancock’s group moves a compact Beatles song into a longer jazz setting with enough pulse to hold the original shape. Use it to hear how a pop melody can give an ensemble room to improvise. 0 2 For All I Care (2008) Released Jan 1, 2008 Compare Lithium
The trio brings in singer Wendy Lewis for an album of reworked songs, including the Nirvana tune. Listen to how the exposed vocal and piano give the loud entrance a different effect from the familiar rock arrangement. 0 3 Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington (1955) Released Jan 1, 1955 Compare It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
Monk gives Duke Ellington’s familiar melody his dry spacing and a strong left hand. The trio has room to let small breaks and offbeat accents take the place of an orchestra’s force. 0 4 Porgy and Bess (1958) Released Jan 1, 1958 Compare Summertime
Gil Evans gives Davis a spacious orchestral field around the melody. Start with Summertime to hear how little the trumpet has to say between the recognizable phrases. 0 5 My Favorite Things (1961) Released Jan 1, 1961 Compare My Favorite Things
Coltrane’s soprano saxophone and the quartet turn a theater melody into an extended performance built around repeating harmony. Start with the title track for a direct comparison with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s song. 0 6 Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles (2023) Released Feb 10, 2023 Compare I Am the Walrus
Mehldau gives the recorded effects and vocal layers of the Beatles arrangement to a single piano. Listen for which motifs he keeps when the tune has to work without any of its original production. 0 7 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book (2011) Released Jan 1, 2011 Compare I've Got You Under My Skin
Buddy Bregman’s orchestra helps the melody swing over the forward motion of the words. This is a way into Cole Porter’s humor through how a singer shapes the beat. 0 8 The Nutcracker Suite (1960) Released Jan 1, 1960 Compare Sugar Rum Cherry
Ellington and Billy Strayhorn turn Tchaikovsky’s Sugar Plum Fairy into an orchestral walk with a different pulse. The low reeds and percussion give the little tune a new center. 0 9 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book (2012) Released Jan 1, 2012 Compare Take the 'A' Train
Ellington’s own orchestra gives Fitzgerald a moving frame for Billy Strayhorn’s tune. Listen to how the voice can play against a band whose phrasing is already part of the song’s history. 0 10 West Side Story (1962) Released Jan 1, 1962 Compare Something's Coming
The Oscar Peterson Trio keeps Bernstein’s sense of forward motion while giving the theme room for piano variations. Choose it for a whole musical heard through compact trio arrangements. 0 
The New Standard (1996)Released Jan 1, 1996Compare Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) Hancock’s group moves a compact Beatles song into a longer jazz setting with enough pulse to hold the original shape. Use it to hear how a pop melody can give an ensemble room to improvise.0
For All I Care (2008)Released Jan 1, 2008Compare Lithium The trio brings in singer Wendy Lewis for an album of reworked songs, including the Nirvana tune. Listen to how the exposed vocal and piano give the loud entrance a different effect from the familiar rock arrangement.0
Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington (1955)Released Jan 1, 1955Compare It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) Monk gives Duke Ellington’s familiar melody his dry spacing and a strong left hand. The trio has room to let small breaks and offbeat accents take the place of an orchestra’s force.0
Porgy and Bess (1958)Released Jan 1, 1958Compare Summertime Gil Evans gives Davis a spacious orchestral field around the melody. Start with Summertime to hear how little the trumpet has to say between the recognizable phrases.0
My Favorite Things (1961)Released Jan 1, 1961Compare My Favorite Things Coltrane’s soprano saxophone and the quartet turn a theater melody into an extended performance built around repeating harmony. Start with the title track for a direct comparison with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s song.0
Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles (2023)Released Feb 10, 2023Compare I Am the Walrus Mehldau gives the recorded effects and vocal layers of the Beatles arrangement to a single piano. Listen for which motifs he keeps when the tune has to work without any of its original production.0
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book (2011)Released Jan 1, 2011Compare I've Got You Under My Skin Buddy Bregman’s orchestra helps the melody swing over the forward motion of the words. This is a way into Cole Porter’s humor through how a singer shapes the beat.0
The Nutcracker Suite (1960)Released Jan 1, 1960Compare Sugar Rum Cherry Ellington and Billy Strayhorn turn Tchaikovsky’s Sugar Plum Fairy into an orchestral walk with a different pulse. The low reeds and percussion give the little tune a new center.0
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book (2012)Released Jan 1, 2012Compare Take the 'A' Train Ellington’s own orchestra gives Fitzgerald a moving frame for Billy Strayhorn’s tune. Listen to how the voice can play against a band whose phrasing is already part of the song’s history.0
West Side Story (1962)Released Jan 1, 1962Compare Something's Coming The Oscar Peterson Trio keeps Bernstein’s sense of forward motion while giving the theme room for piano variations. Choose it for a whole musical heard through compact trio arrangements.0