A Sound for Sore Ears is a jazz instrumental composed by Jimmy Heath. The first recording and release were by Milt Jackson with The Ray Brown Big Band, recorded on October 9, 1969 and released in 1970. The tune was later issued by Jimmy Heath in 1972 and by the Heath Brothers in 1980. Since then it has been covered by numerous artists and appears on several jazz albums. The piece is noted for its lively, expressive writing and its place in the late 1960s to early 1980s jazz repertoire.
