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"C Jam Blues" is ajazz standard composed in 1942 byDuke Ellington. One of his most famous pieces,^[1] it has been performed by countless other musicians, such asDave Grusin,Django Reinhardt,Oscar Peterson, andCharles Mingus.

As the title suggests, the piece follows atwelve-bar blues form in the key ofC major. The tune is well known^{[according to whom?]} for being extremely easy to play, with the entire melody featuring only two notes: G and C.

A performance typically features several improvised solos. The melody likely originated from the clarinetistBarney Bigard in 1941, but its origin is not perfectly clear.^[2]

It was also known as "Duke's Place",^[3] with lyrics added by Bill Katts,Bob Thiele andRuth Roberts.^[2]

• The song is performed in the "soundie"Jam Session, produced in 1942. The video depicts ajam session where Ellington begins playing with a double bass before gradually being joined by other members of his band, among them drummerSonny Greer and trumpeterRex Stewart.^[4]
• Western Swing band leaderBob Wills and His Texas Playboys recorded the song sometime between 1945 and 1947 as part ofThe Tiffany Transcriptions.^{[5][better source needed]}
• Bill Doggett recorded a version on his 1958 tribute albumSalute to Duke Ellington (King).
• "C Jam Blues" was used by theBonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band as the basis of their song "The Intro and the Outro".^[6]
• Mulgrew Miller andNiels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen included the song in their 1999 albumThe Duets.^[7]
• TheDave Brubeck Quartet performed this live at the 1958Newport Jazz Festival; the recording appears in their albumNewport 1958.^[8][9]
• Tenor saxophonistIllinois Jacquet performed the song with formerPresidentBill Clinton at his 1993 inaugural ball.^[10]

• Schuller, Gunther (1992)."Jazz and Composition: The Many Sides of Duke Ellington, the Music's Greatest Composer".Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.46 (1). American Academy of Arts & Sciences:36–51.doi:10.2307/3824163.ISSN 0002-712X.JSTOR 3824163. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2025.

• 1942 songs
• Compositions by Duke Ellington
• 1940s jazz standards
• Swing jazz standards
• Songs written by Ruth Roberts
• Jazz compositions in C major

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