Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Dat Dere" is a soul jazz classic composed by pianist Bobby Timmons in 1960. Along with "Moanin'" and "This Here," it is one of the three signature compositions that helped define the gospel-tinged soul jazz style of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The tune features a bright, bouncing melody that fuses gospel and blues feeling with bebop sensibility—a hallmark of Timmons's distinctive pianistic voice. Lyrics were added later by Oscar Brown Jr., depicting a child's wide-eyed curiosity during a visit to the zoo and a parent's reflections on growing up, perfectly complementing the tune's playful character. Performed at a medium swing tempo, the catchy riff-based theme and accessible structure have made it a perennial favorite at jam sessions, while its harmonic framework—including passages with minor-key ii-V progressions—offers engaging material for improvisation.

Timmons first recorded the piece on his debut album This Here Is Bobby Timmons (January 1960) in a trio with Sam Jones (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). A powerful version by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, with Timmons at the piano, followed on the album The Big Beat (March 1960). The definitive vocal rendition came from Oscar Brown Jr. on his acclaimed debut Sin & Soul (1960), which brought the song to an even wider audience.