Con Alma

This article is about the composition by Dizzy Gillespie. For the album by Ray Bryant, see Con Alma (Ray Bryant album). For the album by Charles McPherson, see Con Alma!

"Con Alma" is a jazz standard written by Dizzy Gillespie, appearing on his 1954 album Afro. The tune incorporates aspects of bebop jazz and Latin rhythm, and is known for its frequent changes in key centers (occurring every two bars), while still maintaining a singable melody.[1]

Notable recordings

It has been noted that "As good as Dizzy's versions of his own tune are, it's probably not too crazy to say that 'Con Alma' really took off in the hands of other musicians."[2] Among those who have recorded versions are:

The song was recorded by Chaka Khan in 1982 as part of the "Be Bop Medley" from her album Chaka Khan.

References

  1. ^ Gioia, Ted (2021). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-008717-3.
  2. ^ Ben Gray, "Con Alma: A Critical Analysis of Covers", Nextbop.com


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