Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Blues March" is a jazz standard composed by tenor saxophonist and composer Benny Golson (1929–2024). Though its best-known recording is from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' landmark album Moanin' (recorded October 30, 1958), the first recorded version actually appeared on trumpeter Blue Mitchell's debut album Big 6, recorded in July 1958.

The composition is a creative reimagining of the 12-bar blues form, drawing inspiration from the New Orleans marching band tradition. It begins in "long meter" form—a half-time feel evoking a military march—before transforming into regular swing time. The theme carries a bugle-call quality that Leonard Feather described as giving the work "a period quality that ties it together." The straightforward harmony and clearly defined sections make it ideal for improvisation, while the march-to-swing transition adds dramatic structure that sets it apart from typical blues heads. The tune has become a staple of military and collegiate jazz ensembles as well.

The definitive recording features the 1958 Messengers lineup of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Golson on tenor, Bobby Timmons on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass, and Blakey on drums. Golson also recorded it with the Jazztet (co-led with Art Farmer) on their 1960 debut Meet the Jazztet, which featured a 19-year-old McCoy Tyner on piano.