What connects artists as diverse as Ella Fitzgerald, Samara Joy, Louis Armstrong, Diana Krall, and Jamie Cullum? It’s a shared love for the Great American Songbook. The ‘songbook’ isn’t a physical book but a fluid, loosely defined collection of songs—mainly from the 1920s to the 1960s—celebrated for their lyrical wit, musical sophistication, and timeless appeal.

The origins of this repertoire can be traced back to the so-called ‘Tin Pan Alley’, which was the lively centre of New York’s songwriting and publishing scene in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of its composers were classically trained immigrants or children of immigrants, bringing European traditions that merged with American jazz, blues, and show tunes. Their work laid the groundwork for Broadway musicals, big bands, and a large part of modern popular music.

This diversity gave the music a distinctly American flavour. Think Duke Ellington, Dorothy Fields, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter — just a few of the creators of a ‘songbook’ that continues to influence music today. And the magic is that their songs express the full range of human emotion in just a few minutes, whether it’s joy, longing, heartbreak, or desire. Feeling jubilant? Arlen’s ‘Get Happy’ hits the right note. Pining for someone? Try the Gershwins’ ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’. Missing a loved one? Sammy Fain’s ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ still tugs at the heartstrings.

These are not merely musical museum pieces. Their emotional arcs and melodic strength make them endlessly adaptable, which is why they are cherished by singers, instrumentalists, and arrangers alike. From Louis Armstrong’s gravelly warmth to Diana Krall’s cool phrasing, Samara Joy’s swinging optimism to Sarah Vaughan’s sassy interpretations, many artists continue to find inventive ways to reinterpret them.

And the ‘songbook’ repertoire is not only rooted in the past; it continues to evolve. For example, Herbie Hancock’s album ‘The New Standard’ (1996) reimagines contemporary voices, such as Stevie Wonder, Lennon & McCartney, Prince, and Sade, through a jazz lens. Quincy Jones’s 1969 rendition of ‘Oh Happy Day’ transforms a gospel classic into pure groove, sure to make you lift your hands in praise.

So, where should you begin? Start with Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘Songbook’ albums; they remain the definitive collection—a masterclass in phrasing, swing, and interpretation. Through her, you’ll explore the works of Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, and Johnny Mercer, among others. If you’re new to the Great American Songbook, these are the perfect starting points.

But if you are looking for a tune to get you started, here are some song suggestions to explore. Carmen McCrae approaches the Gershwin song ‘Love Is Here to Stay’ with a laid-back, relaxed, evocative swing on the album ‘Great Woman of Song’.

Billie Holiday’s performance of ‘A Foggy Day’, another Gershwin tune, on her album ‘Songs for Distingué Lovers’, produced by Verve founder Norman Granz, begins wistfully and then confidently progresses with joyful individualism. Samara Joy’s interpretation of the 1940s Nacio Herb Brown and Gus Kahn tune ‘You Stepped Out of a Dream,’ originally featured in the 1941 film ‘Ziegfeld Girls,’ which she performs on her ‘Portrait’ album, updates it for modern audiences with Bossa Nova stylings.

Listen to the live version of Irving Berlin’s ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’ on Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘At The Hollywood Bowl’, which highlights the richer tones of her voice as she gently caresses every lyric of the opening verse. Add to your list the album ‘All For You (A Dedication To the Nat King Cole Trio)’, by Diana Krall, who takes on the lively ‘Hit That Jive Jack’, demonstrating her versatility as both a pianist and a singer.

And it’s not just Americans who have shaped the ‘songbook’ canon. British songwriting duo Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse’s musical ‘The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd’ included the song ‘Feeling Good’, which later became one of Nina Simone’s signature tunes, first appearing on her album ‘I Put a Spell on You’.

If you’re more into instrumental music, you can’t go wrong with John Coltrane’s legendary interpretation of Hammerstein and Rodgers’ ‘My Favourite Things’, which features Eric Dolphy and was recorded live at the Village Gate, capturing the energy and intensity of that concert. Alternatively, for something a little more mellow, Chet Baker in ‘Paris Vol. 2’ offers his haunting rendition of the Gillespie and Coots tune ‘You Go To My Head’.

And that’s just your starting point! There is so much more to discover within the Great American Songbook. Dive in—you won’t regret it. Happy listening!

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Jumoké Fashola is a journalist, broadcaster, and vocalist who presents a range of arts and culture programmes on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, and BBC London.

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_{Header image: Billie Holiday, Downbeat, New York, N.Y., ca. Feb. 1947. Photo: William P. Gottlieb / Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division / Library of Congress.}