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| 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 |
"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.
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.[ citation needed ]
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