Do not be intimidated by the number. Start with one tune today. Learn the melody. Play the changes. Listen to the masters. And let the guide you from being a player who reads tunes to a musician who knows them.
The prefix is crucial. Many jazz collections offer “highlights” or “top 100” lists. The “FULL” version of the 557 standards claims to be exhaustive. It attempts to include not just the obvious Miles Davis and Charlie Parker classics, but also obscure B-sides from Broadway musicals, forgotten Tin Pan Alley gems, and modal explorations from the 1960s. -FULL- 557 jazz standards in bb
Many horn players jump straight to the chord changes to improvise. The 557 gives you the melody for a reason: transcribe it, ornament it, make it sing. The greatest improvisers always start with the head. Do not be intimidated by the number