Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Perdido" is a jazz standard composed by Juan Tizol in 1941. Tizol was a Puerto Rican valve trombonist who spent decades in Duke Ellington's orchestra, contributing Latin-flavored compositions including the equally famous "Caravan." The title is Spanish for "lost" and refers to Perdido Street in New Orleans' historic Storyville district.

The tune is a 32-bar AABA form, most commonly played in B♭ major. Its chord progression is built around ii-V-I chains and a dominant cycle, creating a straightforward harmonic framework that has made it a perennial jam session favorite. Typically taken at an up-tempo swing, "Perdido" is known for its infectious riff-based melody and an iconic shout chorus—a counter-melody often played during the final head or before drum trades. The accessible changes also make it an excellent vehicle for developing mastery of ii-V-I patterns.

The Ellington Orchestra's 1942 Victor recording stands as the original, while Ella Fitzgerald's rendition on Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (Verve, 1957) is a tour de force of scat singing. The Charlie Parker Quintet's legendary live performance at Massey Hall in 1953, alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach, is another essential recording.