"Naima" ( ) is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

composed by

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 Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

in 1959 that he named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 album ''

Giant Steps ''Giant Steps'' is a studio album by the jazz musician John Coltrane. It was released in January or February 1960 through Atlantic Records. This was Coltrane's first album as leader for the label, with which he had signed a new contract the previ ...

'', 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! ''Live At The Village Vanguard Again!'' is a Album#Live, live jazz album by saxophone, saxophonist John Coltrane. Recorded in May 1966 during a live performance at the Village Vanguard jazz club in New York City, the album features Coltrane play ...

'' (1966), ''

Afro Blue Impressions '' Afro Blue Impressions'' is an album of a performance by jazz musician John Coltrane that was recorded live in 1963. The album was originally released many years later, in 1977, on the Pablo label, as a double LP. Reception The AllMusic revi ...

'' (1977), '' The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings'' (1997), and '' Blue World'' (2019). "Naima" has since become a

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...

Structure

According to Coltrane, "The tune is built on suspended chords over an E

pedal tone Pedal tones (or pedals) are special low notes in the harmonic series of brass instruments. A pedal tone has the pitch of its harmonic series' fundamental tone. Its name comes from the foot pedal keyboard pedals of a pipe organ, which are used ...

on the outside. On the inside – the channel – the chords are suspended over a B pedal tone." The composition, on that recording, is a slow, restrained melody, with a brief piano solo by

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of 1 ...

Chord changes

Chord changes for "Naima": ‖: B–7/E‖ E–7 ‖ Amaj7+5/E Gmaj7+5/E ‖ Amaj7/E:‖ ‖ Bmaj7/B‖ B79 ‖ Bmaj7/B ‖ B79‖ ‖ B-maj7/B‖ Bmaj7/B ‖ Amaj7/B ‖ Emaj711‖ ‖ B–7/E‖ E–7 ‖ Amaj7+5/E Gmaj7+5/E ‖ Amaj7/E‖ Scale associations: ‖: E

Mixolydian Mixolydian mode may refer to one of three things: the name applied to one of the ancient Greek ''harmoniai'' or ''tonoi'', based on a particular octave species or scale; one of the medieval church modes; or a modern musical mode or diatonic sca ...

, 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 ‖

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. *

Kamau Brathwaite Edward Kamau Brathwaite, CHB (; 11 May 1930 – 4 February 2020), was a Barbadian poet and academic, widely considered one of the major voices in the Caribbean literary canon.Staff (2011)"Kamau Brathwaite." New York University, Department of Co ...

's poem "Naima for John Coltrane" was included in the

Poems on the Underground Poems on the Underground (POTU) is a project, started in 1986, to bring poetry to a wider audience by displaying various poems on the London Underground rapid transit network and participating websites. Poems on the Underground displays poems by ...

project.

References

{{Authority control 1959 compositions 1950s jazz standards Compositions by John Coltrane 1950s ballads Jazz compositions in B-flat minor Real Book Song