DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #56: C Jam Blues

C Jam Blues is another jazz standard every swing dancers should know. For this series I have chosen the very first recording from 1941.

The tune with the former title “C Blues” was recorded by a small group out of Duke Ellington‘s orchestra and was released under the name of Barney Bigard & His Orchestra.

In the following year, Duke Ellington recorded “C Jam Blues” with his big band for RCA Victor Records.

As jazzstandards.com states, clarinetist Barney Bigard is likely the originator of the tune, but Duke Ellington was the one who arranged it for the big band.

In the late 1950s, some words were added (“Baby, take me down to Duke’s Place”…) and the song got the name “Duke's Place“

C Jam Blues

The title says it all. C Jam Blues is a blues with the twelve-bar form in the key of C major. The band soloists usually jam around this structure.

You can find the songs of the series also on my Spotify playlist. Official hashtag of the series: #djcsotw

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