Afro Blue

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"Afro Blue" is a jazz standard composed by Mongo Santamaria, perhaps best known in its arrangement by John Coltrane.

Coltrane's recordings of the piece have several features in common with his versions of My Favorite Things, including a pulsating 3/4 rhythm, and a simple, almost drone-like harmonic structure.

Abbey Lincoln performed the song on her 1959 album, Abbey Is Blue, with lyrics by Oscar Brown Jr.. (On the original LP sleeve it was credited to Herbie Mann)

Other cover versions can be found on Derek Trucks Band's Soul Serenade, Gov't Mule's Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends, Lizz Wright's Salt, John McLaughlin's After The Rain, Andy Summers' The Last Dance Of Mr. X, and Susana Baca's Espiritu Vivo.

The song is notable for its Afro-Cuban feel, which also makes it difficult to play. It can be arranged in 6/8 or 3/4 time. If it is arranged in 6/8, it has a strong quarter note triplet feel; if it is arranged in 3/4, it has a strong dotted quarter note feel. All these factors give the piece a complex, smooth-sounding beat.