Blues March is a composition by Benny Golson, written in 1958 for Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The tune blends blues harmony with a marching band groove, opening with a characteristic drum solo that establishes its processional feel before the horns enter with a singable, riff-based melody. Golson drew inspiration for the marching rhythm from the Grambling State University marching band, integrating that influence into a hard bop framework with his signature harmonic touches, including half-diminished chords and moments of tonal ambiguity. The earliest recorded version appeared on trumpeter Blue Mitchell's album Big 6, recorded in July 1958, but the definitive recording came from Blakey's Jazz Messengers on the Blue Note album Moanin', recorded in October 1958 with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Golson on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. Blues March quickly became one of Golson's most recognized compositions, joining Killer Joe, I Remember Clifford, Stablemates, Whisper Not, and Along Came Betty as enduring standards from his prolific 1956 to 1960 period. It has been widely covered across varied settings, from big bands to string quartets, demonstrating its versatility well beyond its hard bop origins. On AllSolos, the Moanin' recording features solos by Morgan, Blakey, Golson, and Timmons.
