Composed by the then 23 year-old Sonny Rollins in 1954, and recorded too many times to count, “Oleo” is a classic ‘rhythm changes’ tune that’s instantly recognizable to jazz fans. Usually performed at break-neck speeds, the "A" section presents a familiar bebop-style melody, but the B section is open to improvisation as there's no written melody. This tune was a favorite of Miles Davis, performing it with the different iterations of his band through the years, and it's a perennial burnin' set closer for everything from student recitals to international festival stages! Saxophonist John Nastos' contrafact, “Plenty of Time,” is an excellent alternate melody to learn and play with our hard swingin’ rhythm section. Pay close attention to the use of motif in both the melody and solos. This is a great way to approach improvising, especially on rhythm changes. There are many choruses to blow on with our Play! video, and keep an eye out for the trading choruses with our drummer, Greg Artry - one with 8-bar trading and the last, trading 4s.