[Ken]

I've just started collecting as many recordings of standards as I can (via jazzstandards.com) and remembering them that way, rather than from a real book.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get recordings with the original changes?

I was thinking of the following ways:
- Getting older recordings from the 50's/40's
- Getting vocal versions e.g Billie Holiday, Ella, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae (possibly less likely to be reharmonized?)
- Focus on certain players who may tend to use original changes (Scott Hamilton?)

One disadvantage of getting older recordings is that it is harder to figure out the chords sometimes because of the sound quality. Ideally you would have recent recordings using orginal changes.

 

[danarsenault]

These things are what the guys who wrote the real book did. To get even closer, get DVDs of the movies in which many standards first appeared. Then you are only dealing with the orchestrator as intermediary. These recordings also have some bass to hear roots.