"Oleo" is a

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

composition by Sonny Rollins, written in 1954. Since then it has become a jazz standard, and has been played by numerous jazz artists, including

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

, and Bill Evans.

Form

"Oleo" is one of a number of jazz standards to be based on the same chord progression as that employed by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

's "

I Got Rhythm "I Got Rhythm" is a piece composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the " rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes suc ...

Recordings

The first version of the song, featuring Rollins, was recorded by

and Sonny Rollins in 1954 on the record '' Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins.'' With

instead of Rollins on saxophone, it has been recorded again in 1956 on '' Relaxin'.'' A live version from 1958, also with Coltrane, appears on two separate Davis albums: '' 1958 Miles,'' which was released in late 1958, and '' Jazz at the Plaza'' (1973). Another Davis live version from 1961 appears on ''

In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete ''In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete'', also called ''The Complete Blackhawk'', is a 2003 four-disc collection of the 1961 live performances of the Miles Davis Quintet at the Black Hawk nightclub in San Francisco. T ...

.'' Other artists who have made notable recordings of the piece include

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

, Eric Dolphy, Lee Konitz,

Jeff Sipe Jeff Sipe (born January 31, 1959), also known as Apt. Q258, is an American drummer. He is a rock and jazz fusion drummer but is proficient in other styles. He is a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit with Bruce Hampton. He was a member of Lef ...

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer. She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. Her 1982 single "Forget Me Nots" received a Grammy Awar ...

, and Larry Coryell.

References

External links

"Oleo" at jazzstandards.com
Jazz songs 1950s jazz standards Bebop jazz standards Hard bop jazz standards 1954 songs {{1950s-jazz-composition-stub

Form

Recordings

See also

References

External links