Our Analysis
Deep dives into the inner workings of great jazz compositions and solos.
Our Analysis
In This Section
Our Approach
Al Neil, Vancouver B.C. Our Approach "Learned technique is a law method; natural technique is nature’s method. And this is…
Harmonic Analysis of Jazz Songs
Our Analysis... This free educational resource focuses on the tools you need to take your playing to the next level.…
Things We Do
Things We Do Do you have a piece you would like analyzed or a topic you’d like to explore? Contact…
Donna Lee
Miles Davis - 1947 Many musicians look at ‘Donna Lee’ as a right of passage. It’s a great melody and…
Boplicity Gil Evans
Gil Evans - 1949 ‘Boplicity’ was recorded in 1949 and released on the seminal 1957 compilation album ‘Birth of the…
Jeru Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan - 1949 ‘Jeru’ by Gerry Mulligan, recorded in 1949, is included in the classic 1957 compilation ’Birth of…
Hallucinations Bud Powell
Bud Powell - 1950 Bud Powell recorded Hallucinations’ as a solo in 1950. But before that, Miles Davis recorded the…
Line for Lyons Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan - 1952 Gerry Mulligan again employs lovely counter melody polyphony in his arrangement of ‘Line for Lyons’ (see…
Ecaroh Horace Silver
Horace Silver - 1952 The first recording of ‘Ecaroh’ is a trio version from 1952. The second version is on…
Bernies Tune Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan - 1952 ‘Bernie’s Tune’ is another signature Gerry Mulligan interpretation employing counter-melody polyphony. The trumpet player is a…
Opus de Funk Horace Silver
Horace Silver - 1953 Horace Silver’s ‘Opus de Funk’ should be high on any piano players list of pieces to…
Who Knows Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington - 1953 ‘Who Knows’ is on the 1953 trio album ‘The Duke Plays Ellington’. The material was later…
Nicas Dream Horace Silver
Horace Silver - 1954 The first recording of ‘Nica’s Dream was on the album ‘The Jazz Messengers’ (1956). It is…
Just Friends Tete Montoliu
Tete Montoliu - 1974 Tete Montoliu shines brightly on the 1974 Anthony Braxton album ‘In the Tradition’. His precise, percussive…
Room 608 Horace Silver
Horace Silver - 1954 ‘Room 608’ was first released in 1954 on a 10" disc. In 1956 it was rereleased…
Jordu Duke Jordan
Duke Jordan - 1954 ‘Jordu’ is a 1953 composition by the great Duke Jordan. It came to the fore with…
Thelonious Monk Reflections
Jazz for Piano - Review The next piece we will look at is ‘Reflections’ by Thelonious Monk so it seems…
Miles Ahead
Gil Evans - 1957 Miles Ahead gives us another chance to look at the lush, dense orchestration of Canadian Gil…
Moanin Bobby Timmons
Bobby Timmons - 1958 Pianist Bobby Timmons incorporates the long tradition of call and response in ‘Moanin’. The technique has…
Self Portrait in 3 Colours
Charles Mingus - 1959 Charles Mingus is among the top four or five greatest composers in Jazz. He was a…
Goodbye Porkpie Hat
Charles Mingus - 1959 There is a lot of conflicting information (and misinformation) out there about the song ‘Goodbye Porkpie…
Blue in Green Bill Evans
Bill Evans - 1959 ‘Blue in Green’ was first heard on the 1959 Miles Davis album ‘Kind of Blue’. Bill…
This I Dig of You
Hank Mobley - 1960 Another catchy tune from Hank Mobley’s ‘Soul Station’. Difficulty = Intermediate YouTube link ‘This I Dig of…
Joy Spring Clifford Brown
Clifford Brown - 1954 ‘Joy Spring’ certainly lives up to its name. A fairly straightforward harmonic language lets the melody…
Free For All Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter - 1964 ‘Free For All’ is the title track from a 1964 album by Art Blakey and the…
Crepuscule with Nellie
Thelonious Monk - 1957 ‘Crepuscule with Nellie’ was first released on the 1957 album ‘Monks Music’. It’s a great example…
No Problem Duke Jordan
Duke Jordan - 1960 Duke Jordan’s song ‘No Problem’ was first released in 1960 on the excellent album ’Flight to…
Whisper Not Benny Golson
Benny Golson - 1956 Benny Golson is a master saxophonist and composer. ‘Whisper Not’ is one of his many beautiful…
So What by Miles Davis
Miles Davis - 1959 Anyone with even a passing interest in Jazz has probably come across the song ‘So What’,…
Penthouse Party Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill - 1959 ‘Penthouse Party’ is the first cut on Andrew Hill’s first album. Hill would go on to…
Potsa Lotsa Eric Dolphy
Eric Dolphy - 1961 Eric Dolphy recorded ‘Potsa Lotsa’ live with a group of like minded musicians eager to bend…
New Rhumba Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal - 1955 ‘New Rhumba’ was the first song on Ahmad Jamal’s first album and it was clear right…
Getting Started Playing Jazz
Jazz for Piano - Getting Started First off, a few suggestions on organizing your music and using this site:(1) Everything…
Im Crazy Bout Your Lovin
Americana 2 I’m Crazy ‘Bout Your Lovin’ was published in 1919. Perry Bradford (along with Eubie Blake and W.C. Handy)…
Golden Notebooks Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan - 1971 ‘Golden Notebooks’ by Gerry Mulligan is on the wonderful 1972 album ‘Age of Steam’. Mulligan plays…
Erato Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill - 1965 ‘Erato’ by Andrew Hill was recorded in 1965 but Blue Note didn’t release the song until…
Lena by Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor - 1962 ‘Lena’ is from Cecil Taylor’s 1962 album ‘Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come’. It was recorded…
Down at the Gills by Mal Waldron
Mal Waldron - 1970 ‘Down at the Gills’ is from Mal Waldron’s live 1970 album "Blood and Guts". The very…
Paul Bley Champion of New Music
Paul Bley Paul Bley was a central figure in the emergence of "New Music" in the 1960s, 70s and beyond.…
Batterie Paul & Carla Bley
Paul Bley - 1964 ‘Batterie’ is from Paul Bley’s 1964 recording "Closer". The album features seven Carla Bley compositions including…
Black Fire Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill - 1963 "Black Fire" was the first of sixteen Andrew Hill Blue Note albums. The title track is…
Isotope by Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson - 1964 ‘Isotope’ is from Joe Henderson’s 1966 Blue Note album "Inner Urge". The album was recorded in…
The Jody Grind Horace Silver
Horace Silver - 1966 The title track of Horace Silver’s "The Jody Grind" was released in 1967. Silver was clearly…
And Now the Queen by Carla Bley
Carla & Paul Bley - 1964 Carla Bley’s composition ’And Now the Queen’ was first recorded by a quintet on…
Les by Eric Dolphy
Eric Dolphy 1960 ‘Les’ is from Eric Dolphy’s "Outward Bound" album, his first album as leader. The head is a…
Capricious Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor - 1962 Billy Taylor’s ‘Capricious’ was recorded by Gerry Mulligan and Tommy Flanagan in 1962 and released on…
Other Afternoons Jimmy Lyons
Jimmy Lyons - 1969 The album "Other Afternoons" was recorded in 1969. Jimmy Lyons brought together Lester Bowie, Alan Silva…
Celia by Bud Powell
Bud Powell - 1949 Bud Powell’s ‘Celia’, recorded with Ray Brown and Max Roach, was first released on the album…
Invisible by Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman - 1958 ‘Invisible’ is the first song on Ornette Coleman’s debut album "Something Else!!" We can find many…
Recorda Me
Joe Henderson - 1963 ‘Recorda Me’ debuted on "Page One", Joe Henderson’s first album as leader. It’s a great example…
Three Bags Full Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock - 1962 ‘Three Bags Full’ is on Herbie Hancock’s first album "Takin’ Off". The head features some interesting…
Bellarosa by Elmo Hope
Elmo Hope - 1953 Elmo Hope recorded ‘Bellarosa’ with Lou Donaldson and Clifford Brown in 1953. This would have been…
Serenade to a Bus Seat
Clark Terry - 1957 ‘Serenade to a Bus Seat’ is the title track of Clark Terry’s third album as leader.…
The Blessing by Ornette Coleman
The Maze by Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock - 1962 ‘The Maze’ is from Herbie Hancock’s debut recording "Takin’ Off". Its a good example of how…
A Peck A Sec
Hank Mobley - 1960 ‘A Peck A Sec’ is a straight ahead hard bop head by Hank Mobley. It was…
Fire Waltz Mal Waldron
Mal Waldron 1961 Mal Waldron composed ‘Fire Waltz’ for the important sextet with Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin up front. Difficulty…
Idle Moments
Duke Pearson 1963 Duke Pearson’s ‘Idle Moments’ was first featured on guitarists Grant Green‘s 1963 album with the same title.…
Refuge by Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill - 1964 ‘Refuge’ is from Andrew Hill’s indispensable 1965 album "Point of Departure". The band - Eric Dolphy,…