Style:

Swing, typically played at fast tempos.

Form:

A1-B-A2-C (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Key:

Ab Major

Harmony/Overview:

This  tune is based on the changes to "Indiana". The harmony remains very functional throughout, although the melody was especially modern for its  time. It is a classic bebop line that contains some very strong motifs along with a wealth of musical language. In bar 21 the melody contains an A♮ not an Ab, contrary to what is notated in the Charlie Parker  Omnibook.

Recordings:

This  composition has become a staple of the jazz repertoire and has been recorded hundreds of times throughout the years. The first recording  comes from a session Charlie Parker recorded for Savoy Records in 1947.  Four takes were recorded, and it was the 4th that was chosen as the Master Take. Although it seems very much so in the style of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis claimed to have composed  the piece, stating that the original listing of Parker as the composer was a mistake on behalf of the record label. If this is the case, "Donna  Lee" would be Miles Davis' first original composition to have ever been recorded. It remains a popular standard in the repertoire and continues to be performed frequently to this day, especially in jam  session situations.

JGC Top Picks:

Clifford Brown, The Beginning and the End, 1955

Lennie Tristano & Lee Konitz, (Live Recording from Confucius Restaurant, NYC), 1955

Phil Woods, The Macerata Concert, 1987