Tenor Madness Variation

12 bars · 1 changes per bar · Originally associated with the song Tenor Madness by Sonny Rollins

Usage

Summary

This 12-bar blues follows a classic form with a jazz-inflected twist. It moves to the IV7 in bar 2, returns to the I7 in bars 3 and 4, then revisits the IV7 in bars 5 and 6 before dropping back to I7 in bar 7. From there, the sequence adds colour with a vi minor 7 in bar 8 and a ii minor 7 in bar 9, setting up a strong II–V movement to V7 in bar 10. The progression then resolves to I7 in bars 11 and 12, creating a familiar blues feel enriched by common jazz-blues harmony.