Composer: Richard Carpenter

Publisher: Richcar Music Corp.

CD: Walkin'

Label: Prestige / Fantasy Records

 1987 Fantasy, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Recording Date: April 29, 1954

Personnel: Miles Davis, trumpet; Jay Jay Johnson, trombone; Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Horace Silver, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums

  

  

  

Title: Walkin’
Artist: Miles Davis
Type of Tune: hard bop
Tempo: 130 BPM (beats per minute)
Key: F
Form: 12-bar blues
Devices: slurs; varied articulation
Scales: blues; pentatonic; mixolydian; derivatives of major and melodic minor; whole tone; diminished
Recurring Patterns: II V I and turnaround (bars 9-10 and 11-12, respectively, of every chorus)
Developmental Techniques: many climaxes; use of sequence; bebop vocabulary; wide expressive range

General Comments:

A staple in the standard classic jazz repertoire, Walkin’ is a perfect example of how a jazz blues tune was performed in the mid 1950s and is still performed today. Miles Davis was famous for his phrasing, meaning his ability to play a series of notes at what felt like just the right moment.