Style:

Swing, usually played at a medium slow tempo.

Form:

A-B (16 Bars) [8-8]

Arrangements:

An introduction moving through Imi7 - IImi7/I - bIIIMaj7/I - IImi7/I is often included to begin performances, and the head is typically played twice on the way in and out. The solo forms take place over a standard 12 bar minor blues with a bVI7 - V7 turnaround.

Key:

C minor

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is rather sophisticated. While the solo form simply takes place over a minor blues, the melody and head arrangement feature some unique devices and rich voicings. Lead sheets often fail to mention that the melody resolves to Major on beat 3 of the 4th bar. The B section features min11 chords moving chromatically in parallel motion, and although in practice bars 5-8 of the B section tend to also be treated with mi11 chords, the original recording by Nelson features Dmi11 - Ebdim7 - C7/E - Fmi7.

Recordings:

This  song has been recorded over 130 times to date. It was first recorded by  Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis as "The Stolen Moment" on his album Trane Whistle in 1960. Oliver Nelson would record the song himself 5 months later on the album The Blues and the Abstract Truth with  a stellar line-up consisting of Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Bill  Evans, Paul Chambers, and Roy Haynes, and this is often regarded as the  definitive version of the tune. Many other notable musicians would  record this piece from the likes of Ahmad Jamal, Herbie Mann, and Carmen  McRae to name a few. It continues to be performed frequently to this  day and its minor blues form makes it a popular choice for jam sessions.

JGC Top Picks:

Oliver Nelson, The Blues and the Abstract Truth, 1961

Herbie Mann, Standing Ovation at Newport, 1965

Ahmad Jamal, The Awakening, 1970