SPANISH SHAWL - Free Jazz Leadsheet

spanish shawl, composed by Duke Ellington in 1925, is an early jazz piece that combines exotic melodic gestures with swinging rhythms. The composition is emblematic of Ellington’s ability to integrate colorful musical motifs into ensemble jazz.

The first recording was made by Duke Ellington and His Washingtonians in 1925, featuring expressive piano and clarinet lines. Later revivals by Ellington and other jazz artists have emphasized its sophisticated harmonic interplay.

The music incorporates syncopated rhythms, sectional contrasts, and improvisational passages, reflecting both danceable energy and melodic sophistication in the early jazz idiom.