Standards
Celia chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- AABAC
- Bars
- 40
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Celia” is a jazz standard by Bud Powell. It is usually played in B♭ major as a up-tempo swing, and the 40-bar AABAC form has 5 sections. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 16 different chords and moves between the key centres B♭ minor, G minor and C minor. In this atlas it appears on 11 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- B♭maj7×13
- B7×8
- Dm7×7
- Cm7♭5×5
- Cm7×5
- E♭m7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
B♭ minor, G minor and C minor
Recorded on these albums
| 1950 | Piano Solos Bud Powell |
| 1957 | East Coasting Charles Mingus · “Celia (take 5)” |
| 1964 | Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Charles Mingus |
| 1992 | Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream 秋吉敏子 |
| 1995 | Walkin': Live at the Blue Note George Shearing |
| 1997 | Remembering Bud Powell Chick Corea & Friends |
| 2007 | Camp Meeting Bruce Hornsby / Christian McBride / Jack DeJohnette |
| 2012 | Shanks Alex North |
| 2018 | Jazz in Detroit / Strata Concert Gallery / 46 Selden Charles Mingus · “Introduction by Bud Spangler / Celia” |
| 2022 | Strictly Confidential Bud Powell |
| — | Two at the Top Frank Wess |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Celia in?
Celia is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote Celia?
Celia was written by Bud Powell.
What is the form of Celia?
Celia has 5 sections (AABAC) with 40 bars in total.
How fast is Celia played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.
What are the chord changes to Celia?
The opening bars are Bbmaj7 | B7 | Bbmaj7 | B7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.