Style:

Introduced with a boogaloo type groove, it is also commonly played as a funk piece.

Form:

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

Arrangements:

This composition is a 16 bar blues; only the V - IV turnaround is repeated a few times to extend the form. The head is commonly played twice on the way in and out.

Key:

F Major

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is very simplistic. It is nearly identical to a 12 Bar Major blues only the final V - IV turnaround is repeated,  which lengthens the form an additional 4 bars. The melody is a bluesy  riff, and the horn arrangement used on the original recording is often  included in performances.​ The hard stop on beat one of bar 14 is often used throughout the solos.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 180 times to date. It was first introduced on Herbie Hancock's debut album Takin' Off in 1962. Later that year Mongo Santamaria would record a rendition of the tune on La Bamba and  it would become a massive success, reaching #10 on the pop charts in 1963. Herbie later recorded the piece as a funk number on his seminal album Head Hunters in 1973, and this would also become highly influential in the way generations of  musicians have approached the tune ever since. It continues to be performed frequently to this day and the simplicity of the piece has not only made it especially popular among students, but has also allowed  for much cross-over appeal.sition, helping to open the piece up to vocalists.

JGC Top Picks:

Erroll Garner, Up In Erroll's Room, 1968

Herbie Hancock, Head Hunters, 1973

Miles Davis, Black Devil, 1991