Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Cousin Mary" is a composition by John Coltrane, recorded in 1959 and featured on his landmark album Giant Steps. The tune is dedicated to Coltrane's cousin Mary Lyerly Alexander, whom the saxophonist described as "a very earthy, folksy, swinging person."

Built on a 12-bar blues framework in the key of A♭ major, "Cousin Mary" features a riff-like theme that is infectiously catchy and swinging. However, the chord changes depart from conventional blues progressions, incorporating altered harmonies that give the piece a distinctive character. As Coltrane himself explained, he sought to "retain the flavor of the blues" while working outside its standard harmonic language. At a comfortable medium tempo, the tune offers a welcome contrast to the formidable harmonic challenges of the album's title track, allowing the performers to dig into a grooving, straight-ahead feel while still engaging with Coltrane's compositional inventiveness.

The recording was made on May 4, 1959, at Atlantic Studios in New York, with Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Art Taylor (drums). Flanagan's solo here is notably relaxed and assured compared to his famous effort on the daunting "Giant Steps." Coltrane continued to perform "Cousin Mary" with his classic quartet through the early 1960s.