Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Sonnymoon for Two" is a 12-bar blues composed by tenor saxophone giant Sonny Rollins, first recorded in 1957. Despite — or perhaps because of — its elemental simplicity, it has become one of the most commonly called blues heads at jazz jam sessions worldwide.

The tune is in B♭ and features a riff-based melody built entirely on the B♭ minor pentatonic scale. The same phrase repeats three times over the changing blues harmony, creating a hypnotic, groove-centered effect. The rhythmic details are deceptively sophisticated: a syncopated eighth-note triplet figure at the end of each phrase gives the head its distinctive snap. The overall feel evokes the riff-based swing of Count Basie band tunes like "C Jam Blues," while the improvisational possibilities are pure bebop.

The definitive recording is from Sonny Rollins's A Night at the Village Vanguard (1957, Blue Note), performed in a trio with Wilbur Ware on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. Organ-jazz versions by Jimmy Smith and guitar interpretations by Grant Green and Joe Pass have also kept this tune in constant circulation.