Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Blue Bossa" is a jazz standard composed by trumpeter Kenny Dorham (1924–1972), a distinguished figure of the hard bop era who performed with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and alongside many of the greatest names in modern jazz.

The tune is a compact 16-bar form in C minor that pioneered the fusion of bossa nova rhythm with minor-key jazz harmony. The progression moves through a series of ii–V–i cadences in C minor before a brief but effective modulation to Db major, then returns to the home key. This concise structure makes "Blue Bossa" one of the most popular introductory jazz standards—its clear harmonic movement teaches fundamental ii–V–I concepts, while the key change provides a manageable challenge for developing improvisers. For advanced players, the tune offers opportunities to explore chromatic approaches and smooth voice-leading through the modulation. It is among the most frequently called tunes at jam sessions worldwide.

The first recording appeared on tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson's Blue Note debut album Page One (1963), with Dorham as a sideman. The combination of Latin rhythm and modern jazz harmony sounded fresh and contemporary, and the tune has since become one of the most widely performed standards in the entire jazz repertoire.