TOPSY - Free Jazz Leadsheet

“topsy” is an instrumental jazz tune composed in 1937 by Edgar Battle and Eddie Durham. It was first recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra on August 9, 1937, in New York City, featuring Basie on piano. The arrangement reflects Durham’s orchestrational skill and Battle’s melodic invention, making it a signature number of Basie’s early swing era.

The piece became widely influential and has been recorded in many subsequent versions, including a hit adaptation by Benny Goodman in 1938. In 1958, Cozy Cole released “Topsy I” and “Topsy II,” the latter climbing to the top of the R&B charts. The melody is playful and rhythmic, structured in a swing‑oriented big-band format that provides a driving groove while leaving room for solos based on its riff‑based theme.