Minor Jazz Blues Songs

**AlsoRan** · 01-28-2018, 12:44 PM

I am going to create a CD with nothing but minor jazz blues standards.

Here is my list so far:

Midnight Blue
I Remember Sonny

Can you please suggest some more for me?

**grahambop** · 01-28-2018, 01:47 PM

Check your other thread, I put 2 more on there.

**grahambop** · 01-28-2018, 01:51 PM

Stolen Moments
Footprints
Senor Blues
Equinox

**grahambop** · 01-28-2018, 02:39 PM

Mike Outram has listed some here:

Blues in All Major and Minor Keys | Mike Outram

**AlsoRan** · 01-28-2018, 02:55 PM

Thanks, I will check them all out!

**darkwaters** · 01-28-2018, 03:35 PM

Autumn Leaves

**grahambop** · 01-28-2018, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by darkwaters

Autumn Leaves

minor, but not a blues.

Summertime can be seen as a sort of minor blues.

**princeplanet** · 01-29-2018, 03:58 AM

Try these...

**grahambop** · 01-29-2018, 08:36 AM

Yes, Tanya is a nice tune (by Donald Byrd). Sort of an extended minor blues with a 'B' section or ending added.

I'm not so sure about Blue Train or Cousin Mary. The head might sound a bit minor but I think Trane played the solos with 'major' changes.

**AlsoRan** · 01-29-2018, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by princeplanet

Try these...

You are going to keep me busy, amigo! It will be a "labor of love," however.

Thanks!

**darkwaters** · 01-29-2018, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

minor, but not a blues.

Summertime can be seen as a sort of minor blues.

Ah, but it always makes me blue........

**lawson-stone** · 01-29-2018, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by darkwaters

Ah, but it always makes me blue........

Summertime is a blues, but it's a 16 bar blues. Blues was never limited to the 12 bar pattern, though that's what dominates now. If you go back just a little in time, all the classic old blues players used 8 bar, 12 bar, and 16 bar forms, and even used blues with a bridge.

**grahambop** · 01-29-2018, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Summertime is a blues, but it's a 16 bar blues. Blues was never limited to the 12 bar pattern, though that's what dominates now. If you go back just a little in time, all the classic old blues players used 8 bar, 12 bar, and 16 bar forms, and even used blues with a bridge.

In fact if you go back to the real old blues guys, they played blues with however many bars they felt like, could be 11 bars, 13 bars, whatever.

I believe there's a story about Lightnin' Hopkins who got booked on a tour playing with a band, and they asked him why he didn't stick to the usual pattern when going from I to IV. His reply was 'Lightnin' change when Lightnin' wanna change'!

**AlsoRan** · 01-29-2018, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

In fact if you go back to the real old blues guys, they played blues with however many bars they felt like, could be 11 bars, 13 bars, whatever.

I believe there's a story about Lightnin' Hopkins who got booked on a tour playing with a band, and they asked him why he didn't stick to the usual pattern when going from I to IV. His reply was 'Lightnin' change when Lightnin' wanna change'!

I have got to tell you that I am finally getting what the real, old Blues guys felt and put into their music. So much was against them, even their own restless souls. I did not get it when I was younger, but I get it now and I enjoy looking at the old footage of them. The old Blues ladies as well get to me. They had a double whammy to deal with. I admire their courage to fight on and take the good when they could (and try hard not to screw it up with a bad follow-up decision).

Another fantasy of mine is to drive over to rural Mississippi and go to one of those old Blues joints. Just a fantasy.

**Litejava** · 02-15-2018, 06:19 PM

How about Peel Me a Grape by Dave Frishberg,Your Heart Is as Black as Night by Melody Gardot,or alternately If I Tell You I Love You I’m Lying,also Gardot.Harlem Nocturne is a gorgeous minor jazz/ blues.

**geoff23** · 02-18-2018, 05:20 PM

Of course, there’s also “Why don’t you do right” - which is the subject of another (eponymous) thread in this very forum...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**wintermoon** · 03-07-2018, 10:19 AM

Comin home baby

**jameslovestal** · 03-07-2018, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Summertime is a blues, but it's a 16 bar blues. Blues was never limited to the 12 bar pattern, though that's what dominates now. If you go back just a little in time, all the classic old blues players used 8 bar, 12 bar, and 16 bar forms, and even used blues with a bridge.

I would say that Summertime is mostly blues. I have tried to play the song (in Dm), with a few blues players and they have a very hard time playing over the II\V\I F major section.

**billv** · 05-10-2018, 11:05 AM

Don't forget St. James Infirmary -- just about as minor bluesy as it gets.

I went down to St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there
She was stretched out on a long white table,
So sweet, cool and so fair

Yowsa!

**p1p** · 05-14-2018, 11:47 PM

**edward74** · 05-15-2018, 03:18 PM

I have a small playlist of only minor blues tunes and here are a few tracks that I put on it...

Swingers Get the Blues, Too - Duke Ellington. It's short but starts out minor, changes to major and out with minor.
Fathead - David "Fathead Newman (feat. Ray Charles)
Purple Shades - Art Blakey (feat. Thelonious Monk)
One For Daddy-O - Cannnball Adderley
Snoopy & Woodstock - Wynton Marsalis
Lofty's Roach Souffle - Harry Connick Jr Trio

One recently discovered Ellington minor blues not on this playlist is Night Creature!

Love the mood of minor blues tunes!