Moanin' (song)

For the Art Blakey album, see Moanin'.
"Moanin'"
Song by Art Blakey
Written 1950s
Composer(s) Bobby Timmons
Lyricist(s) Jon Hendricks
Language English

"Moanin'" is a composition by Bobby Timmons, first recorded by Art Blakey's band on the 1958 album of the same title.[1]

Composition

"Moanin'" has a call and response melody.[1] One account of its creation was given by Benny Golson, the tenor saxophonist in Blakey's band: Timmons had the opening eight bars, which he often played between tunes, but formed the complete song only after Golson encouraged him to add a bridge.[2] It is played in F minor.

Recordings and reception

"Moanin'" has been recorded numerous times and has become a jazz standard.[3] Gary Giddins stated that the song "set the music world on its ear" and that it was "part of the funky, back to roots movement that Horace Silver, [Charles] Mingus, and Ray Charles helped, in different ways, to fan."[4] Jon Hendricks later added lyrics,[4] and the subsequent recording by Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross made the song even more popular.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Seymour, Gene (2005), in Kirchner, Bill (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Jazz, p. 380. Oxford University Press.
  2. Anderson, Sheila E. (2003) The Quotable Musician: from Bach to Tupac, pp. 75–76. Skyhorse Publishing.
  3. Morrison, Nick (October 13, 2009) "Art Blakey: Jazz Messenger, Jazz Mentor" npr music. Accessed July 31, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Giddins, Gary (March 7, 1974) "Bobby Timmons, 1935–1974" The Village Voice, p. 45.
  5. Kernfeld, Barry "Timmons, Bobby" The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2nd ed.). Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed July 29, 2013. (Subscription required.)
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