"Naima" ( ) 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 ''Giant Steps'' is the fifth studio album by jazz musician John Coltrane as leader. It was released in February 1960 on Atlantic Records. This was his first album as leader for Atlantic Records, with which he had signed a new contract the previou ...

'', 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 live jazz album by 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 playing in the free jazz sty ...

'' (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 review ...

'' (1977), ''

The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings ''The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings'' is a box set of recordings by jazz musician John Coltrane, issued posthumously in 1997 by Impulse! Records, catalogue IMPD4-232. It collects all existing recordings from performances by the John C ...

'' (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 lis ...

Structure

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." The composition, on that recording, is a slow, restrained melody, with a brief piano solo by Wynton Kelly.

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 , E

Dorian Dorian may refer to: Ancient Greece * Dorians, one of the main ethnic divisions of ancient Greeks * Doric Greek, or Dorian, the dialect spoken by the Dorians Art and entertainment Films * ''Dorian'' (film), the Canadian title of the 2004 film ' ...

, 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 Ida or IDA may refer to: Astronomy * Ida Facula, a mountain on Amalthea, a moon of Jupiter *243 Ida, an asteroid *International Docking Adapter, a docking adapter for the International Space Station Computing *Intel Dynamic Acceleration, a techn ...

'', in which the title character is intrigued by the jazz and its player. *

Kamau Brathwaite The Honourable 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, D ...

's poem "Naima for John Coltrane" was included in the Poems on the Underground project.

References

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