Style:

Swing, usually played at a medium slow tempo.

Form:

12 Bar Major Blues

Key:

Bb Major

Harmony/Overview:

This  composition is a 12 Bar Major blues with a V - IV turnaround. What  makes this tune unique is that is frequently uses the #11 extension on the Dominant chords in the melody, implying the Lydian Dominant mode. This tonality is also often suggested throughout the solo sections.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded just over a dozen times to date. It was first recorded by Sonny Rollins in 1956 on his album Saxophone Colossus. While not his most popular composition, it still finds favor among musicians today and remains a standard in the repertoire.

JGC Top Picks:

Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, 1956

Houston Pearson, Jazz For a Lazy Day, 1999

Frank Caruso, Songs From the Kingdom of Jazz, 2008