Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Solar" is a modern jazz standard credited to Miles Davis, first appearing on his 1954 album Walkin'. However, evidence uncovered in 2012 at the Library of Congress confirmed that guitarist Chuck Wayne originally composed the melody as "Sonny" in 1946, predating Davis's recording by eight years.

The piece is a 12-bar minor blues in C minor, distinguished by its movement through four tonal centers — C minor, F major, E♭ major, and D♭ major — derived from the chord changes of "How High the Moon." This compact yet harmonically rich structure makes it both a rewarding vehicle for improvisation and an invaluable educational tool, frequently used to practice ii–V–I progressions and key-center navigation. Its popularity at jam sessions is virtually unmatched among minor blues heads.

Davis's sole studio recording features Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. The most celebrated version, however, is Bill Evans's trio performance on Sunday at the Village Vanguard (1961), with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, a recording prized for its intimate interplay and lyrical grace.