ENDEIT

Standards

Robbin's Nest chords & key

Thompson-Jacquet

Key
C major
Form
AABA
Bars
32
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4

“Robbin's Nest” is a jazz standard by Thompson-Jacquet. It is usually played in C major as a medium swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 10 different chords. The bridge uses the cycle of dominants known from Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” — so-called rhythm changes. In this atlas it appears on 5 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

A
C6
C6
A♭7
A♭7
Em7E♭dim7
Dm7G7
1.
C6E♭dim7
Dm7G7
2.
C6
C6
B
E7
E7
A7♭9
A7♭9
D7
D7
G7♭13
Dm7G7
A
C6
C6
A♭7
A♭7
Em7E♭dim7
Dm7G7
C6
Dm7G7

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

5Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
6ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
3Dominant chains
10Different chords

Most used chords

  • C6×10
  • A♭7×6
  • Dm7×6
  • G7×6
  • E♭dim7×4
  • Em7×3

Characteristics

  • Rhythm changes
  • AABA song form

Recorded on these albums

1968 Exclusively for my Friends - Vol. II: Girl Talk
Oscar Peterson · “Robbins’ Nest”
1989 All That Jazz
Ella Fitzgerald · “Just When We’re Falling in Love (Robbins’ Nest)”
1996 How High the Moon
Ella Fitzgerald · “Robbin’s Nest”
2005 All My Life
Ella Fitzgerald
2016 Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set
Ella Fitzgerald · “Robbins Nest”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

  • ROBBINS NEST OSCAR PETERSON · Major Holley · Charles Thomas · Norman Granz archive.org ↗
  • Robbin's Nest Illinois Jacquet & His All Stars · Sir Charles Thompson · 1947 archive.org ↗
  • ROBBIN'S NEST ILLINOIS JACQUET & His All Stars · Illinois Jacquet · Joseph D… · 1947 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
That's Amore (That's Love) 41% Warren-Brooks B♭ major AB · 32 Medium swing
In A Little Spanish Town 35% Wayne-Lewis-Young G major AB · 32 Medium swing
Perdido 35% Juan Tizol B♭ major AABA · 32 Latin
Charleston 33% James Johnson B♭ major ABAC · 32 Medium-up swing
Straighten Up And Fly Right 30% Cole-Mills A♭ major AACD · 32 Medium swing
Basin Street Blues 27% Spencer Williams B♭ major AA · 32 Slow swing
The Birth Of The Blues 27% Ray Henderson C major AABA · 32 Slow swing
Fran Dance 26% Miles Davis B♭ major AABAB · 40 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Robbin's Nest in?

Robbin's Nest is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote Robbin's Nest?

Robbin's Nest was written by Thompson-Jacquet.

What is the form of Robbin's Nest?

Robbin's Nest has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Robbin's Nest played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Robbin's Nest?

The opening bars are C6 | C6 | Ab7 | Ab7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.