Naima

For other uses, seeNaima (disambiguation).

"Naima"
CompositionbyJohn Coltrane
from the albumGiant Steps
Released	1960(1960)
Recorded	May 1959
Genre	Jazz
Length	4:21
Label	Atlantic
Composer(s)	John Coltrane
Producer(s)	Nesuhi Ertegün

"Naima"(/naɪˈiːmə/ny-EE-mə) is ajazzballadcomposed byJohn Coltranein 1959 that he named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 albumGiant Steps,and it became one of his first well-known works.

History

Coltrane recorded "Naima" many times. It appears onThe Complete Copenhagen Concert(1961),Live at the Village Vanguard Again!(1966),Afro Blue Impressions(1977),The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings(1997), andBlue World(2019). "Naima" has since become ajazz standard.

Structure

According to Coltrane, "The tune is built...on suspended chords over an E♭pedal toneon the outside. On the inside – the channel – the chords are suspended over a B♭pedal tone. "The composition, on that recording, is a slow, restrained melody, with a brief piano solo byWynton Kelly.

Chord changes

Chord changes for "Naima":

‖: B♭–7/E♭‖ E♭–7 ‖ Amaj7+5/E♭Gmaj7+5/E♭‖ A♭maj7/E♭:‖
‖ Bmaj7/B♭‖ B♭7♭9 ‖ Bmaj7/B♭‖ B♭7♭9‖
‖ B-maj7/B♭‖ Bmaj7/B♭‖ A♭maj7/B♭‖ Emaj7♯11‖
‖ B♭–7/E♭‖ E♭–7 ‖ Amaj7+5/E♭Gmaj7+5/E♭‖ A♭maj7/E♭‖

Scale associations:

‖: E♭Mixolydian| E♭Dorian| F♯Mel. Minor,E Mel. Minor | A♭Lydian:‖
‖ B♭Phrygian| B♭Dim. Scale(H-W) | B♭Phrygian | B♭Dim. Scale |
‖ B♭Alt.(B Mel. Minor) | B♭Phrygian | B♭Mixolydian | E Lydian ‖
‖ E♭Mixolydian | E♭Dorian | F♯Mel. Minor, E Mel. Minor | A♭Lydian ‖

Cultural references

• "Naima" is featured in a scene in the 2013 Polish movieIda,in which the title character is intrigued by the jazz and its player.
• Kamau Brathwaite's poem "Naima for John Coltrane" was included in thePoems on the Undergroundproject.