TAPS MILLER - Free Jazz Leadsheet

"Taps Miller" is a jazz feature associated with trumpeter and entertainer Taps Miller, though the composition is typically credited to the Count Basie Orchestra’s arrangers of the early 1940s. The first notable recording occurred on January 21, 1941, in Hollywood by Count Basie and His Orchestra, spotlighting Miller’s charismatic vocals and stage presence.

The piece has been revived in later Basie anthologies and by traditional jazz ensembles that favor its upbeat character. With humorous vocal interjections and a riff-based instrumental backbone, the tune celebrates the lively showmanship associated with Basie’s early wartime band. Its structure relies on repeated blues-influenced patterns, leaving ample room for solo features and ensemble punctuation.