Naima
| "Naima" | |
|---|---|
| Composition by John Coltrane | |
| from the album Giant Steps | |
| Released | 1960 |
| Recorded | May 1959 |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Length | 4:21 |
| Label | Atlantic |
| Composer(s) | John Coltrane |
| Producer(s) | Nesuhi Ertegün |
"Naima" is a ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959 that he named after his wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 album, Giant Steps, and it became one of his first well-known works.
History[]
Coltrane recorded "Naima" many times. It appears on The Complete Copenhagen Concert (1961), Live at the Village Vanguard Again! (1966), Afro Blue Impressions (1977), The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (1997), and Blue World (2019). "Naima" has since become a jazz standard.
Structure[]
According to Coltrane, "The tune is built ... on suspended chords over an E pedal tone on the outside. On the inside – the channel – the chords are suspended over a B pedal tone."[1] The composition, on that recording, is a slow, restrained melody, with a brief piano solo by Wynton Kelly.
Chord changes[]
Chord changes for "Naima":[2]
‖: B♭–7/E♭ ‖ E♭–7 ‖ Amaj7+5/E♭ Gmaj7+5/E♭ ‖ A♭maj7/E♭ :‖ ‖ Bmaj7/B♭ ‖ B♭7♭9 ‖ Bmaj7/B♭ ‖ B♭7♭9 ‖ ‖ B-maj7/B♭ ‖ Bmaj7/B♭ ‖ A♭maj7/B♭ ‖ Emaj7♯11 ‖ ‖ B♭–7/E♭ ‖ E♭–7 ‖ Amaj7+5/E♭ Gmaj7+5/E♭ ‖ A♭maj7/E♭ ‖
Scale associations:[3]
‖: E♭ Mixolydian | E♭ Dorian | F♯ Mel. Minor, E Mel. Minor | A♭ Lydian :‖ ‖ B♭ Phrygian | B♭ Dim. Scale (H-W) | B♭ Phrygian | B♭ Dim. Scale | ‖ B♭ Alt. (B Mel. Minor) | B♭ Phrygian | B♭ Mixolydian | E Lydian ‖ ‖ E♭ Mixolydian | E♭ Dorian | F♯ Mel. Minor, E Mel. Minor | A♭ Lydian ‖
Other versions[]
- Les Double Six – The Double Six of Paris: Swingin' Singin (1962)
- – To You (1968)
- Archie Shepp – Four for Trane (1964)
- Tom Scott – The Honeysuckle Breeze (1968)
- McCoy Tyner – Echoes of a Friend (1972), The Greeting (1978), Things Ain't What They Used to Be (1989), and other albums.
- Cedar Walton – Naima (live) (1973)
- Jack Wilkins – Windows (1973)
- John McLaughlin – Love Devotion Surrender (with Carlos Santana, 1973), and After the Rain (1995)
- Lonnie Liston Smith – Cosmic Funk (Flying Dutchman) (1974)
- Arthur Blythe – In the Tradition (1979) and Blythe Byte (2001)
- Maynard Ferguson – Hot (1979)
- David Grisman – Quintet '80 (1980)
- Massimo Urbani – Dedications to A.A. & J.C. – Max's Mood (1980)
- Pharoah Sanders – Heart Is a Melody (1983)
- Skywalk – Silent Witness (1983)
- McCoy Tyner – Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane (1987)
- Pharoah Sanders – Africa (1987)
- Jamaaladeen Tacuma – Jukebox (1988)
- Art Ensemble of Chicago – Dreaming of the Masters Suite (1991)
- Pharoah Sanders – Crescent with Love (1992)
- Joey DeFrancesco – Reboppin (1992)
- Lonnie Smith – Afro Blue (1993)
- Norman Connors – Remember Who You Are (MoJazz) (1993)
- David Murray – Windward Passages (with Dave Burrell, 1993) and Octet Plays Trane (2000)
- James Carter – Conversin' with the Elders (with Hamiet Bluiett, 1996)
- Thom Rotella – Platinum Melodies (1996)[4]
- Derek Trucks Band – The Derek Trucks Band (1997)
- Victor Wooten – What Did He Say? (1997)
- Sonny & Perley, East of the Sun (2000)[5]
- 4hero – 2000 compilation The Good Good (2000)
- Alex Bugnon – As Promised (2000)[6][7]
- Karrin Allyson – Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane (2001)
- Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, and Roy Hargrove – Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall (2002)
- Vato Negro live quartet of Juan Alderete, Adrian Terrazas, Money Mark, and Cedric Bixler (2008)
- Lionel Loueke – Karibu (2008)
- Kindred Spirits Ensemble – Love Is Supreme (2009)[8]
- Aidan Baker – Passing Thru (2010)
- Royce Campbell – Solo Trane (2010)
- Jaco Pastorius – in the video Modern Electric Bass
- George Benson – Guitar Man (2011)
- Scott Fields and Jeffrey Lependorf – everything is in the instructions (2013)
- Paula Cole – Ballads (2017)
- – Flipped II (2018)
- Chrissie Hynde with the Valve Bone Woe Ensemble – Valve Bone Woe (2019)
- Outer Park featured the song on their album "1968 (slight return)," in a medley with Neil Young's ballad, "Don't Let it Bring You Down." (2019)
Cultural references[]
- "Naima" is featured in a scene in the 2013 Polish movie Ida, in which the title character is intrigued by the jazz and its player.[9][10]
- Kamau Brathwaite's poem "Naima for John Coltrane" was included in the Poems on the Underground project.[11]
References[]
- ^ Cole, Bill (1976). John Coltrane. Schirmer Books, a division of Macmillan Publishing. Retrieved April 12, 2021 – via Internet Archive. LCCN 76-14289, ISBN 978-0-3068-1062-6, ISBN 0-0287-0660-9 (hardback), ISBN 0-0287-0500-9 (paperback), OCLC 680351269 (all editions).
- ^ Aebersold, Jamey (1995). Jamey Aebersold Play-A-Long - Volume 27 - John Coltrane. Jamey Aebersold Jazz Inc.
- ^ Zisman, Michael (2005-06-01). The Real Easy Book. Sher Music Co. p. 238.
- ^ "Platinum Melodies". AllMusic. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ "Naima (feat. The John Hilton Trio)" – via YouTube.
- ^ Widran, Jonathan. "As Promised". AllMusic. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ Soergel, Brian (February 2000). "Smooth Sailing". Smooth Vibes. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ "Love Is Supreme – Kindred Spirits Ensemble". AllMusic. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ "Ida (2013) | Soundtracks". IMDb.
- ^ Fuller, Graham (May–June 2014). "Review: Ida". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "Poems on the Underground". Transport for London. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
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Categories:
- 1959 compositions
- 1950s jazz standards
- Compositions by John Coltrane
- 1950s ballads
- Jazz compositions in B-flat minor