"Naima" (/nˈmə/ ny-EE-mə) is a jazz ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959 that he named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 album Giant Steps, and it became one of his first well-known works.

"Naima"
Composition by John Coltrane
from the album Giant Steps
Released1960 (1960)
RecordedMay 1959
GenreJazz
Length4:21
LabelAtlantic
Composer(s)John Coltrane
Producer(s)Nesuhi Ertegün

History

edit

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

edit

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

edit

Chord changes for "Naima":[2]

‖: 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:[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      ‖

Cultural references

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ 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).
  2. ^ Aebersold, Jamey (1995). Jamey Aebersold Play-A-Long - Volume 27 - John Coltrane. Jamey Aebersold Jazz Inc.
  3. ^ Zisman, Michael (2005-06-01). The Real Easy Book. Sher Music Co. p. 238.
  4. ^ "Ida (2013) | Soundtracks". IMDb.
  5. ^ Fuller, Graham (May–June 2014). "Review: Ida". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "Poems on the Underground". Transport for London. Retrieved March 4, 2021.