Jazz, like blues, and other areas of music that arose under the influence of Negro culture, perceive in a peculiar way the question of what is original and what is not. For example, in this environment it is not considered shameful to perform works that have already been repeatedly played by others and have been heard for many years, and sometimes decades.
Music that knows its story
In other genres of music, such a borrowing of songs sometimes seems unacceptable, because there, unlike jazz, it is believed that the artist or group of musicians must have their own unique repertoire, thanks to which this collective will be recognizable and loved by the people.
This is the case, for example, in rock or pop music. But everything regarding Negro culture deserves a separate consideration. There are completely different rules. In this culture, traditions that have developed over several generations and their continuity are very strong.
Musicians are proud that their work has not only become popular and has been appreciated by thousands or even millions of listeners around the world. No, they still want to show that their music has a rich pedigree. Jazzmen seem to tell the listener that they are students of the great Muddy Waters, and their music has deep roots that go back to the works of Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie or Charlie Parker.
Therefore, such instrumentalists and singers do not disdain the performance of the compositions on which they grew up and which they consider to be their teaching aids in the world of music.
How to recognize the standard?
Works that have passed the test of time and performed by more than the first generation of jazz musicians are called standards. This definition means that this particular composition can be called a classic of the genre.
Another name for the jazz standards is "evergreen", that is, "evergreen", "immortal", "imperishable."
How to recognize if a given composition is standards or not? The answer to this question is subjective. Each musician can name a couple of compositions that he considers an example of true jazz art. But there are objective indicators in this regard. For example, there are various ratings that are published by some jazz and just music magazines, which are called, for example, like this: "100 of the best jazz standards of all time."
You can also judge whether a piece of music belongs to this class by estimating the number of performances. If the composition was replayed dozens and hundreds of times, and if the jazz song was rewritten within 30-40 years after the first release on the disc, then it can be safely considered the standard.
Cultural interaction
The content of this category and the attitude of musicians to it changed over time, and was different in each era. So, in the thirties and forties of the last century, standards called only works that were written mainly by composers from the jazz medium. For example, an indisputable example of such a composition, which has survived its era and is modern and today has become an aria from the opera "Porgy and Bess" by George Gershwin. Although this composer was not a representative of the black race, his music was immediately and unconditionally accepted even by the luminaries of jazz, black musicians.
Later, in the forties and fifties, many jazz songs and instrumental compositions began to appear, which were based not only on Negro culture, but also on the melodies and rhythms characteristic of Latin American countries or the East. Among such compositions can be called, for example, "Caravan" by Duke Ellington or "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck.
Jazz today
In the sixties of the XX century, jazz musicians stepped far beyond the limits of their genre mainly under the influence of the Liverpool four Beatles. Songs of famous Englishmen began to be repeatedly performed by jazzmen, including such famous ones as Ray Charles. He performed such things as Lennon and McCartney such as "Yesterday", "Eleanor Rigby" and many others, making them jazz standards for vocalists.
And so, we can say that in comparison with the era of the emergence of the genre, today this category has expanded significantly. And now, songs of such world-famous artists as Norah Jones, George Benson, Bob James or Chick Koria can be called modern jazz standards.