Hotter Than That borrows its changes from which song?

Hotter Than That borrows its changes from which song?

• A. Tiger Rag
• B. St. Louis Blues
• C. Black and Tan Fantasy
• D. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

Answer: (A)

In jazz, many tunes were created by taking the chord changes of a familiar standard and writing a new melody over them. Hotter Than That uses the same harmonic progression as Tiger Rag, so its changes are borrowed from Tiger Rag even though the melodies differ. This explains why the piece swings with that same underlying chord sequence and why improvisers phrase over Tiger Rag’s cycle. The other tunes have their own distinct harmonic shapes—St. Louis Blues follows a 12-bar blues form, while Black and Tan Fantasy and East St. Louis Toodle-Oo have different Ellington-era progressions—so they aren’t the source of Hotter Than That’s changes.

In jazz, many tunes were created by taking the chord changes of a familiar standard and writing a new melody over them. Hotter Than That uses the same harmonic progression as Tiger Rag, so its changes are borrowed from Tiger Rag even though the melodies differ. This explains why the piece swings with that same underlying chord sequence and why improvisers phrase over Tiger Rag’s cycle. The other tunes have their own distinct harmonic shapes—St. Louis Blues follows a 12-bar blues form, while Black and Tan Fantasy and East St. Louis Toodle-Oo have different Ellington-era progressions—so they aren’t the source of Hotter Than That’s changes.