THE MOOCHE - Free Jazz Leadsheet

"The Mooche" was composed by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills and first recorded by the Duke Ellington Orchestra on October 1, 1928, in New York. The piece exemplifies Ellington’s early use of growling brass, sultry clarinet lines, and jungle-style textures that defined his Cotton Club period.

Revived frequently throughout Ellington’s career and performed by various traditional-jazz ensembles, the tune is built around a hypnotic, minor-key motif and sectional development rather than a conventional 32-bar form. Its moody atmosphere and distinctive tonal effects make it one of Ellington’s enduring early masterpieces.