Relaxin' At Camarillo (C major) - Jazz Analysis & Chords

Harmonic Highlights

• Utilizes a modified 12-bar blues structure that introduces a secondary dominant (A7) in bar 8 to function as a V/ii, driving motion into the final cadence.
• Employs a “long turnaround” in bars 11-12 using a iii-VI-ii-V progression (Em7-A7-Dm7-G7), which increases harmonic density compared to traditional folk-blues endings.
• Maintains a dominant 7th tonic (C7) throughout the first four bars, providing a stable platform for Mixolydian-based exploration before the chromatic shifts of the turnaround.

Improvisation Focus The C Bebop Dominant scale combined with chromatic enclosures to highlight chord tones during the rapid ii-V-I turnaround.

Difficulty Rating 3/5; the 12-bar blues framework is accessible, but the dense harmonic rhythm of the final four bars requires precise timing and fluid bebop vocabulary.