Cool Blues Heads

[BeBop]

What are your favorite blues (or near-blues) heads? Bird had many nice ones. Monk too.

Things like Blues Walk, Darben the Redd Foxx and C Jam Blues are fine heads - the blues changes are still prominent behind the melody; are they really creative?

I've got to dig a little deeper to hear the blues changes behind something like Twisted or Straight, No Chaser; I find these heads particularly attractive. (There's a James Moody head I can't think of right now...)

So many blues; so little time.

[Big Wheel]

Some of my favorites:

Farmer's Market

Speedball

Birdlike

Is Jaki Byard's Out Front a blues? That one is definitely one of my favorites.

[couw]

I'll say it again: Roland Kirk - Blue Roll (Beautiful Edith)

[Big Wheel]

The mention of Roland Kirk made me think of his version of Creole Love Call. A great, if simple, head.

[couw]

maybe the simplest blues heads are the greatest?

(not a rhetoric q)

[Big Wheel]

Not sure that's always the case...there are some great simple blues heads, but oftentimes blues heads were just scribbled down in a hurry because they needed another tune at one of those Prestige jam sessions.

Another one that comes to mind: Cedar Walton's Cedar's Blues. Also Joe Henderson's Homestretch.

Edited April 22, 2004 by Big Wheel

[Sundog]

A number of my favorites...

Robbins' Nest

Killer Joe

Chitlins Con Carne

Moanin'

Bessie's Blues

Blues For Alice

Happy-Go-Lucky Local (Night Train)

Sonny Moon For Two

Doxy

Blue Seven

Minor Chant

Work Song

Coming Home Baby