Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra performing "Night in Tunisia", featuring Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet, Don Byas - tenor saxophone, Milt Jackson - vibraphone, Al Haig - piano, Bill DeArango - guitar, Ray Brown - bass, and J.C. Heard - drums . Recorded February 22, 1946 in New York.

For lead sheets complete with introductory verses, lyrics, and accurate chord changes, visit
https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/

The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.

Some notes about the composition from the JGC Real Book,

Composer: Dizzy Gillespie

Year: 1942

Origin: Introduced by Sarah Vaughan in 1944 as "Interlude".

Style: A combination of straight and swing feels, typically played at brighter tempos.

Form: A-A-B-A (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]
The A sections are played straight with the exception of the final 2 bars, while the B section is swung. This arrangement commonly used for the head only with the solo section entirely swung.

Intro: The bassline that moves from bII7 - Imi6 is usually used to begin the performance, and there is also a counter-melody that goes along with it.

Send-off: After the head in a 12 bar send-off is used to lead into the solos. This is then followed by a solo break which is commonly 4 bars long. It is typically only used the first time around, although it is sometimes used to introduce every new soloist. This section is played entirely swung.

Shout Chorus: After all the melodic soloists are finished a shout chorus is sometimes included. The shout played during the A sections while the B section is left open to the drummer. Sonny rollins offers a concise interpretation of this arrangement on his recording from A Night at the Village Vanguard.

Key: D minor

Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is mainly functional. The main theme revolves around the constant arrival of bII7 - Imi, which is essentially V7alt - Imi (tri-tone substitution). The bridge is identical to that of "Alone Together", taking place in the relative Major and moving from II - V of II before a II - V - I.

Recordings: This song has been recorded over 400 times to date and is a widely popular standard. The first recording comes from Sarah Vaughan in 1944 and was originally entitled "Interlude", featuring lyrics written by Sarah Vaughan and Anita O'Day. One of the earliest instrumental recordings of Dizzy Gillespie performing the piece comes a 1945 session with Boyd Raeburn and his Orchestra. Dizzy would later record and perform this piece many times throughout his career, leaving several particularly legendary recordings behind.

JGC Top Picks:
Sonny Rollins, A Night at the Village Vanguard, 1957
McCoy Tyner, Today and Tomorrow, 1963
Dave Liebman, Besame Mucho and Other Latin Jazz Standards, 1993

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