On Green Dolphin Street - A Harmonic Guide

 

Analyzing the Harmony of On Green Dolphin Street

"On Green Dolphin Street," composed by Bronisław Kaper with lyrics by Ned Washington, was released in 1947 as part of the film soundtrack of the same name. While it didn't immediately become a hit, it quickly found its place as a jazz standard. Many notable artists have recorded this tune, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Grant Green, each bringing their unique voice to its rich harmonies. Let's analyze the song.


Chord Chart (Key of C)

| CMaj7 | % | Cm7 | % | 

| D9 | Db9 | CMaj7 | A7 | 

| Dm7 | G7 | CMaj7 | % | 

| Fm7 | Bb7 | EbMaj7 | G7 | 

| CMaj7 | % | Cm7 | % | 

| D9 | Db9 | CMaj7 | % | 

| Dm7 | Bm7b5 - E7b9 | Am7 | F#m7b5 - B7 | 

| Em7-A7 | Dm7-G7 | CMaj7 | % |



Song Analysis

  • Bars 1-4: The Major to Minor Shift. The tune begins with CMaj7. This establishes C major as the I chord. Here, Cm7 appears. This is parallel modulation, where we use chords from the parallel minor key, C minor.

  • Bars 5-8: Tritone Substitution and Secondary Dominant. These two dominant ninth chords, D9 then Db9, create a descending chromatic movement in the bass. The D9 (V/G) functions as a dominant leading to G, but instead of resolving there, it moves to Db9. The Db9 is a tritone substitution for G7, which resolves into the Root (CMaj7). The last bar is A7, which is the VI chord but played as a dominant to lead into the next chord.

  • Bars 9-12: ii-V-I in C This section uses a Dm7-G7-CMaj7 progression. Dm7 is the ii chord, G7 is the V chord, resolving to CMaj7, the I chord. The repeated CMaj7 concludes this phrase.

  • Bars 13-16: ii-V-I in Eb (bIII Major). This segment features an Fm7-Bb7-EbMaj7 progression. Fm7 is the ii chord, Bb7 is the V chord, resolving to EbMaj7, the I chord. The Fm7 appears as the ii chord of a modulation to Eb Major (the bIII Major). After the EbMaj7, we move to G7. This G7 is the V chord of C, setting up a return to the tonic C major.

  • Bars 17-24: Reiterating the A Section. This entire eight-bar segment is a direct repeat of the tune's opening eight bars (Bars 1-8). It begins with the CMaj7 to Cm7 parallel modulation, followed by the D9-Db9 chromatic dominant movement leading to CMaj7. This repetition serves to reinforce the core harmonic ideas of the tune's A section.

  • Bars 25-28: Navigating Minor ii-Vs Dm7 functions as the ii chord of C major. In bar 26, we encounter Bm7b5 and E7b9, a classic minor ii-V progression (iiø7 - V7b9) strongly pointing towards A minor. This resolves to Am7 in bar 27. Immediately following, bar 28 introduces F#m7b5 and B7. This is another minor ii-V (iiø7 - V7), setting up a resolution to E minor.

  • Bars 29-32: The iii-vi-ii-V-I Progression. This section unfolds as a classic iii-vi-ii-V-I progression in C major. Bar 29 features Em7, the iii chord, followed by A7. This A7 functions as the dominantized VI chord (V of Dm). Bar 30 then presents Dm7, the ii chord, and G7, the V chord. These resolve to CMaj7, the I chord, which holds for the remainder of Bar 31 and Bar 32, concluding this phrase.


Conclusion

"On Green Dolphin Street" offers a rich harmonic study. By understanding its shifts, its strategic use of tritone substitutions, and its weaving of ii-V-I and iii-vi-ii-V-I progressions, you gain a map for this tune and valuable tools for your playing. Keep in mind that in jazz, tunes like this are often interpreted in many ways; the chords presented here represent a common and widely used set of changes, not the only possible arrangement.



Click Here to view a chord chart with suggested voicings

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