Style:

Usually played swung, taken at a wide variety of tempos.

Form:

A-B (12 Bars) [8-4]

Key:

C minor

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony is very functional and made up nearly entirely of II-V's. It initially gives the impression in the first few bars that it is a minor blues, although the arrival at IVMaj7 in the 5th bar makes it clear that  this is not the case. The tune proceeds in a fashion reminiscent of "How High the Moon", with II-V's descending in whole-steps and a melody  that gravitates heavily around the 3rds of each chord. The form concludes with a final minor II - V back to Imi.

Recordings:

This composition has been recorded hundreds of times to date and one of the most widely known jazz standards. Miles Davis was the first to record the composition in the studio for his album Walkin' in 1957. However, nearly 50 years after the fact the United States Library of Congress unearthed  an obscure live recording of Chuck Wayne performing a strikingly  similar composition entitled "Sonny" at a jam session in 1946. Although Prestige Music registered the composition for copyright in 1963, Wayne claims to have been the original composer while Miles was merely the appropriator. While there are slight differences between both recordings the sameness is undeniable, and Wayne's recording clearly predates  Miles' by over a decade.

JGC Top Picks:

Bill Evans, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, 1961

Pat Metheny, Question and Answer, 1989

Brad Mehldau, Art of the Trio 4: Back at the Vanguard, 1999