The Evolution of The Real Book in Jazz Music

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Exploring the history and impact of the unauthorized collection of jazz songs, 'The Real Book', this chapter delves into its journey from a local creation to a global staple in jazz education. It discusses the transition from illegal copies to a legal version, shedding light on the complexities of authorship, royalties, and copyright issues within the jazz world. The chapter emphasizes the importance of immersing oneself in jazz culture and learning from experienced musicians, beyond the limitations of relying solely on books like The Real Book.

Since the mid-1970s, almost every jazz musician has owned a copy of the same book. It has a peach-colored cover, a chunky, 1970s-style logo, and a black plastic binding. It’s delightfully homemade-looking—like it was printed by a bunch of teenagers at a Kinkos. And inside is the sheet music for hundreds of common jazz tunes—also known as jazz “standards”—all meticulously notated by hand. It’s called the Real Book. But if you were going to music school in the 1970s, you couldn’t just buy a copy of the Real Book at the campus bookstore. Because the Real Book... was illegal. The world’s most popular collection of Jazz music was a totally unlicensed publication. The full story of how the Real Book came to be this bootleg bible of jazz is a complicated one. It’s a story about what happens when an insurgent, improvisational art form like Jazz gets codified and becomes something that you can learn from a book.

The Real Book

This episode originally aired in April 2021

Roman note: I love this episode. An all time favorite. Pass it along to someone jazzy if so inclined.