Naima

For other uses, see Naima (disambiguation).

"Naima"
Composition by John Coltrane from the album Giant Steps
Released	1960
Recorded	May 1959
Genre	Jazz
Length	4:21
Label	Atlantic
Composer	John Coltrane
Producer	Nesuhi Ertegün
Giant Steps track listing
"Giant Steps" "Cousin Mary" "Countdown" "Spiral" "Syeeda's Song Flute" "Naima" "Mr. P.C."

"Naima" is a ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959, and named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. It first appeared on the album Giant Steps, and is notable for its use of a variety of rich chords over a bass pedal. It is mainly made up of a slow, restrained melody, though there is also a brief piano solo.

Chord changes for 'Naima':

||: Bb-7/Eb | Eb-7 | Amaj7+5/Eb Gmaj7+5/Eb | Abmaj7/Eb :||

|| Bmaj7/Bb | Bb7b9 | Bmaj7/Bb | Bb7b9 |

| B-maj7/Bb | Bmaj7/Bb | Abmaj7/Bb | Emaj7 #4 ||

|| Bb-7/Eb | Eb-7 | Amaj7+5/Eb Gmaj7+5/Eb | Abmaj7/Eb ||

Scale associations:

||: Eb Mixolydian | Eb Dorian | F# Melodic Minor, E Melodic Minor | Ab Lydian :||

|| Bb Phrygian | Bb diminished scale (half-whole)| Bb Phrygian | Bb dim. scale |

| Bb7 'alt' (B Melodic Minor) | Bb Phrygian | Bb Mixolydian | E Lydian ||

|| Eb Mixolydian | Eb Dorian | F# Melodic Minor, E Melodic Minor | Ab Lydian ||

One of Coltrane's most famous compositions^{[citation needed]}, he recorded it numerous times. "Naima" also appears on Live! at the Village Vanguard, The Complete Copenhagen Concert, Afro-Blue Impressions, Live at the Village Vanguard Again!, among other albums. "Naima" has since become something of a jazz standard, covered by many other musicians including:

• McCoy Tyner – on Echoes of a Friend (1972), The Greeting (1978), Things Ain't What They Used To Be (1989), etc.
• John McLaughlin – on Love Devotion Surrender (with Carlos Santana, 1973), and on After The Rain (1995)
• Cedar Walton – on Naima (live) (1973)
• Maynard Ferguson – Hot (1979)
• Art Ensemble of Chicago on Dreaming of the Masters Suite (1991)
• David Murray – with Dave Burrell, on Windward Passages (1993) and on Octet Plays Trane (2000)
• Pharoah Sanders – Crescent With Love (1992), etc.
• Derek Trucks Band  – on his first album, (1997)
• Arthur Blythe – on In the Tradition (1979) and Blythe Byte (2001)
• Tom Scott – Honeysuckle Breeze (1968)
• Lonnie Liston Smith – Afro Blue
• Victor Wooten – on What Did He Say?
• Thom Rotella – Platinum Melodies (1996)^[1]
• Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove – on Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall (2002)
• Vato Negro live quartet of Juan Alderete, Adrian Terrazas, Money Mark and Cedric Bixler (2008)
• Aidan Baker – Passing Thru (2010)
• Jaco Pastorius – in the video Modern Electric Bass
• Alex Bugnon – As Promised (2000)^[2][3]
• Lionel Loueke – on Karibu (2008)

References

1. ^ "Platinum Melodies overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r273255. 
2. ^ "As Promised overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r461777. 
3. ^ "Smooth Sailing February 2000". SmoothVibes.com. http://www.smoothvibes.com/Vaults/smoothsailing_2_00.html.