C Jam Blues
1942 jazz standard by Duke Ellington
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"C Jam Blues" is a jazz standard composed in 1942 by Duke Ellington. One of his most famous pieces,[1] it has been performed by countless other musicians, such as Dave Grusin, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Peterson, and Charles Mingus.
| C Jam Blues | |
|---|---|
| by Duke Ellington | |
"C Jam Blues" performed by Ellington in the 1942 short film Jam Session | |
| Key | C major |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Form | Twelve-bar blues |
| Composed | 1941 |
Background
As the title suggests, the piece follows a twelve-bar blues form in the key of C major. The tune is well known[according to whom?] for being extremely easy to play, with the entire melody featuring only two notes: G and C.
A performance typically features several improvised solos. The melody likely originated from the clarinetist Barney Bigard in 1941, but its origin is not perfectly clear.[2]
It was also known as "Duke's Place",[3] with lyrics added by Bill Katts, Bob Thiele and Ruth Roberts.[2]
Notable performances
- The song is performed in the "soundie" Jam Session, produced in 1942. The video depicts a jam session where Ellington begins playing with a double bass before gradually being joined by other members of his band, among them drummer Sonny Greer and trumpeter Rex Stewart.[4]
- Western Swing band leader Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys recorded the song sometime between 1945 and 1947 as part of The Tiffany Transcriptions.[5][better source needed]
- Bill Doggett recorded a version on his 1958 tribute album Salute to Duke Ellington (King).
- "C Jam Blues" was used by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band as the basis of their song "The Intro and the Outro".[6]
- Mulgrew Miller and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen included the song in their 1999 album The Duets.[7]
- The Dave Brubeck Quartet performed this live at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival; the recording appears in their album Newport 1958.[8][9]
- Tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet performed the song with former President Bill Clinton at his 1993 inaugural ball.[10]