Burt Bacharach: Jazz Covers

Songs by the late Burt Bacharach worked neatly as instrumental covers, especially when jazz artists were compelled by labels to record with-it albums of contemporary hits in the 1960s and '70s. Like Henry Mancini's music, Burt's melodies were clean and catchy and weren't tied directly to specific artists, which is what made many rock-artist hits difficult to cover convincingly. [Publicity still above of Burt Bacharach courtesy of eBay]

Here are 12 of my favorite jazz covers of Burt's compositions:

Here's Wes Montgomery playing Wives and Lovers...

Here's Stan Getz playing The Windows of the World...

Here's Shirley Scott playing What the World Needs Now Is Love...

Here's Anita Kerr with and the Anita Kerr Singers on Alfie...

Here's Leon Spencer Jr. playing (They Long to Be) Close to You...

Here's Bobby Timmons playing Do You Know the Way to San Jose?...

Here's Stanley Turrentine playing This Guy's in Love With You...

Here's Bud Shank playing I Say a Little Prayer...

Here's Ahmad Jamal playing The Look of Love...

Here's Sonny Rollins playing A House Is Not a Home...

Here's Charles Earland playing Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head...

And here are the Jazz Crusaders playing Promises, Promises...