In the following descriptions, "Standards" means mainly American popular songs from the 1920's to the 1950's which are widely performed by jazz musicians. "Jazz classics" means compositions by prominent jazz musicians (Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Bill Evans etc.) which have entered the common jazz repertoire.
The Chuck Sher series have chords and melody, and lyrics where relevant.
The New Real Books have a mix of standards, jazz classics, pop fusion & latin.
The Standards Real Book is standards only and has hardly any duplicate material from the New Real Books.
The Latin Real Book is latin only.
The European Real Book features European composers.
The All Jazz Real Book is classic, contemporary and latin jazz and comes with a CD of 37 melodies.
The World's Greatest Fake Book has jazz classics, pop fusion & latin.
Jazz Arrangements of Public Domain Songs has arrangements by Chuck Israels.
The Jazz Songbook Series is a collection of 20 digital-only books, each containing 20 tunes from one composer.
Vol 1 has 41 easy but classic jazz tunes for beginning improvisers. Vol 2 has 101 tunes for intermediate improvisers. Volume 3 has 63 tunes covering eight eras of jazz, and includes historical and educational material. Sample piano voicings, guitar chord diagrams and sample bass lines are included with each tune.
This is the famous play-along series. Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Each volume consists of book plus CD (or optionally cassette for some of the earlier volumes) with C Concert, Bb, Eb and Bass Clef versions provided. They contain a mix of standards, jazz classics, latin, and instructional material. This index is complete up to Volume 128.
Play-alongs with book and CD, for use with all Bb, Eb, and C instruments. Each tune is recorded in separate "study" and "performance" versions. The "study" versions have split-tracks so bass or piano part can be removed. They contain a mix of standards, jazz classics, latin, and other material. This index has Volumes 1 - 124 then 126, 127, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, (150), 151, 157. The gaps in the numbering are volumes not yet released.
This is available for various instruments. C concert Piano edition has piano, vocal and guitar parts. Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet/Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Trombone all have chords and melody. The material is a mix of standards and jazz classics.
A freely downloadable collection of songs curated by David Berger and Chuck Israels.
Part of the Aperio Open Educational Resources series.
Download it here.
These are not specifically Jazz fake books, but contain many old standards and show tunes. Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. The chords are generally based on the original song sheets rather than "jazz" versions. The three editions of the Best Fake Book Ever are listed as different books as their content changes so much between editions.
Melody lines, lyrics and chords for 375 R&B classics.
400 songs spanning the entire history of the genre. Every major blues artist is well-represented, including Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Billie Holiday, Leadbelly, Alberta Hunter, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Witherspoon, Bessie Smith, Sonny Boy Williamson, and scores of others.
59 sultry jazz and big band melancholy masterpieces.
75 heart-on-the-sleeve standards.
35 Standards in low keys for women singers.
42 timeless standards, transposed down into a comfortable belting range for women singers.
Value-priced collection of over 80 jazz classics.
Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Jazz classics and Standards.
70 of his most familiar pieces, as well as a number of obscure and unrecorded tunes. Includes counterlines and ensemble parts for many pieces, as well as bass-lines and piano voicings where applicable. Also includes a biography, and a discography of the compositions in the book.
Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Alternative substitute chords are also given. Material is standards. 100 tunes in each book.
Chords and melody are given. Alternative substitute chords are also given. Material is standards. And Christmas Favorites, obviously.
This contains chords only. Material is jazz classics & standards.
These pocket-sized books contain chords only. About 400 tunes in each book. Material is jazz classics & standards.
Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Contains a wide range of latin material.
250 tunes. Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Both the original chord progressions and suggested chord substitutions are given. Unlike many fake books, the verse is usually given as well as the chorus. Material is standards.
250 tunes. Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Both the original chord progressions and suggested chord substitutions are given. Material is jazz.
173 tunes. Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Material is standards and jazz classics.
This book has Bb and Eb transposing treble clef only - not concert pitch. Chords and melody are given, no lyrics. Material is jazz classics & standards.
Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. The chords are generally based on the original song sheets rather than "jazz" versions. Material is jazz classics & standards.
Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Piano arrangements. Material is jazz classics & standards.
The publisher describes these as "instant no-frills arrangements". Each song consists of melody line, chord symbols and lyrics (where appropriate).
Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Alternative substitute chords are also given. Material is standards.
Chords and melody are given, and lyrics where relevant. Alternative substitute chords are also given. Material is standards.
Just as the title says. Mostly songs, with lyrics. Chords and melody are given.
100 jazz tunes from early to contemporary. This is intended for use with the Associated Board Jazz exam grades. Has an unusually varied selection.
Music by Pat Metheny and joint compositions with Lyle Mays and with others. Chords and melody are given, with lyrics where relevant (which is about twice).
Just as the titles say. Chords and melody are given, with lyrics where relevant.
60 original compositions transcribed. Counterlines, codas, chord extensions and chord changes for improvisation are included.
The famous collection of Parker transcriptions. Melodies and transcribed solos are given, with fairly basic chords.
68 tunes (with melody, chord changes, and subsidiary lines) taken from, or in the tradition of, the hard bop Blue Note recordings of the 1950s and 1960s.
Music from the Bop era written by or associated with piano players of the time. Chords and melody are given.
These contain chords to many jazz standards but no melodies. They can be found here.
These are legal editions of the classic illegal "Real Books". They look very like the old versions and have almost identical contents, except that errors have been corrected. Chords and melody are given. Material is jazz classics & standards.
Click here to see The Big Book of Jazz - 2nd Edition on the Hal Leonard site.
Click here to see The Frank Sinatra Anthology on the Hal Leonard site.
Click here to see The Frank Sinatra Anthology - Volume 2 on the Hal Leonard site.
Click here to see The Irving Berlin Fake Book on the Hal Leonard site.
Click here to see Norah Jones - Come Away with Me on the Hal Leonard site.
Click here to see the Latin Fake Book on the Hal Leonard site.
Click here to see the Real Dixieland Book on the Hal Leonard site.
Click here to see the New Broadway Fake Book on the Hal Leonard site.
These are available from Really Good Music Inc, www.reallygoodmusic.com
A series of 10 songbooks published by Readers Digest
Chords and melody are given, but lyrics only appear in the "Vocal" book. Material is jazz classics & standards.
These books are illegal (see the note on the main search page) and also inaccurate, and we do not recommend you to buy them. The (legal) Chuck Sher series is far superior. Also Hal Leonard are now releasing legal versions of these books, see above.
Chords and melody are given, no lyrics. Material is standards.
This book is illegal (see the note on the main search page) and inaccurate, and also the compiler has no conception of how alphabetic ordering should work! We do not recommend you to buy it. The (legal) Chuck Sher series is far superior.
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