Good Things to Do, #3: Browse JazzStandards.com

Harold Arlen, 1905 - 1986

This is a tremendous site is devoted to the Great American Songbook. It's not a great looking site, but it's really well designed for accessing information about the standards from a number of angles. My favorite way to search is by rankings. The most recorded song is Body and Soul, followed by All the Things You Are and Summertime. Incredibly, Somewhere Over the Rainbow -- the melody of which was composed by the man pictured above, Harold Arlen -- checks in at # 63. For me, this is the greatest American standard. Come prepared for your next cocktail party music debate by spending time at JazzStandards.com. If you do so at work, don't blame me.