Timeless Jazz Standards (Paul Tobey Transcriptions) Music Book

Every transcription was recorded in my home studio in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, either recorded live during one of my Saturday morning masterclasses on the Jazzmentl YouTube channel, or simply by sitting down, late at night, at my inspiring 7’ Ibach Grand with ivory keys and letting loose. I invite you to dive into the heart of jazz’s improvisational language, where chords don’t merely resolve but surprise and enchant. From the daring b5m7b5 opening of Over the Rainbow to the bebop-driven precision of What Is This Thing Called Love, each arrangement reimagines classic standards with a rich jazz vocabulary, including reharmonized turnarounds, tritone substitutions, locked-hand voicings, and soulful blues licks. 

The Shadow of Your Smile challenges you with intricate drop-2 voicings, while Georgia on My Mind channels Ray Charles’ raw, bluesy spirit, a nod to the soul-stirring rendition that captivated me years ago. Have You Met Miss Jones bursts with virtuosic ii-V-I progressions, inspired by Oscar Peterson’s electrifying performance I witnessed in Toronto, and Body and Soul unfolds over seven minutes of lush, rubato storytelling. The Nearness of You weaves delicate inner voices, inviting nuanced phrasing.

This collection is more than a set of charts; it’s a journey through jazz’s expressive possibilities, honed over countless nights shedding standards and gigs where these tunes came alive on the bandstand. Each transcription demands dedication—whether mastering the walking bass of Have You Met Miss Jones or navigating the chromatic modulations of Body and Soul—but the rewards are immense, offering insights into harmonic finesse and improvisational fluency. I encourage you to pair these arrangements with their original recordings, linked in each section, to capture their soulful essence. 

Whether you’re drawn to the bluesy depth of Georgia on My Mind or the elegant simplicity of What Is This Thing Called Love, may these pages inspire you to explore, create, and swing with conviction.

—Paul Tobey