Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Good Bait" is a bebop composition co-written by pianist-arranger Tadd Dameron and bandleader Count Basie, copyrighted in 1944. Originally written for the Basie orchestra, Dameron also arranged it for the Billy Eckstine Orchestra, and when that ensemble disbanded, Dizzy Gillespie added it to his book and popularized it through frequent performances.

The tune follows a 32-bar AABA form with a distinctive harmonic structure rooted in rhythm changes. The A sections are set in B♭ major and based on the chord progression of "I Got Rhythm," while the bridge transposes up a fourth to E♭ major. Dameron's gift for elegant melody is evident in the composed line that rides atop these familiar changes, transforming a well-worn harmonic framework into something fresh and distinctly bebop. The dual key centers provide improvisers with an engaging challenge, making it a valuable study piece for musicians developing their command of rhythm changes and key modulation.

Fats Navarro and Dameron's 1948 live broadcasts from the Royal Roost in New York capture the tune in its quintessential bebop setting. Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie's 1948 performance at the Pershing Ballroom in Chicago stands as another landmark recording of this enduring bebop classic.