When you think of the most important and significant of the composers of tunes that have become standards, as well as jazz standards, you usually first think of Gershwin, Kern, Mercer, Porter, Rogers & Hart and Rogers and Hammerstein.
Johnny Green is usually not on your list.
Yet, he penned a few nice little ditties like “Coquette”, “I Cover The Waterfront” more sophisticated pieces like “Out Of Nowhere”. But then, like Bob Beaman breaking the long jump record by over 22 inches (55 cm), Green composed the theme for “Body and Soul” and hence created the standard by which all other standards are measure.
Presently,there are over 2200 different jazz versions of the song. Who knows how many copies of it have been sold? How about performed in concert? At this point it is safe to say, as many as the stars are in the sky.
Yes, there are lyrics by Eddie Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton, and they help add to the total atmosphere. But there is just something about the mixture of hope and hopelessness that makes the song endure.
So, where do you start to get a canon of recordings?
Here is a Top Ten list of essential versions of “Body and Soul” for your body and soul…
Louis Armstrong-1930. One of the first versions, and still the standard for both vocals and trumpet playing. Buck Clayton told me that his hearing the record played over the loudspeakers made him decide then and there to become a jazz musician.Coleman Hawkins-1939. The amazing thing about this version is that, during the two choruses, the melody is barely hinted at. But you know it’s there, and this recording that was supposed to be a “throwaway” of the session brims over with spontaneity and majesty.
Benny Goodman-1935. Teamed with his classic trio of pianist Teddy Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa, Goodman does the opposite of Hawkins and barely strays far from the theme. His clarinet is both lonely and warm, creating a haunting sound.- Billie Holiday-she did a longing 1940 version that included Roy Eldridge on
trumpet and a desultory 1957 recording with Ben Webster/ts, Barney Kessel/g, Harry “Sweets” Edison/tp and Jimmy Rowles/p among others 
Eddie Jefferson 1969-The creator of vocalese covers the waterfront of every sonic nuance supported by Barry Harris and James Moody.- Sonny Rollins 1958-Rollins did a handful of versions, but this
unaccompanied version is a deeply personal bathing beauty. - Lee Konitz 1969-the cool toned Konitz sets himself in a modern team of bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette, with trombonist Marshall Brown actually revisiting Roy Eldridges solo from Chu Berry’s 1938 version that
got obscured by Hawkins’ definitive take a year later.
- Dexter Gordon-Long Tall Dexter also featured this a number of times, as his big-
toned tenor envelops the melody on the 1967 concert album as well as the 1970 “Body and Soul” session. - John Coltrane 1960-from his “Coltrane Sound” album that also brings us “Equinox”, this version has the tune
stretched in terms of melody and harmonics with effects created by the tenorist’s mouthpiece, a foreshadow of things to come.
- Sara Vaughan 1954-Sassy bears
her soul with her trio that included drummer Roy Haynes.
- BONUS-don’t forget the classic boxing film of the same title with John Garfield and Lilli Palmer. Garfield is magnificent, and while this isn’t in the song, these words spewed by Garfield need to be included, “What are you gonna do? Kill me? Everybody dies”.
