Airegin is a jazz standard composed by Sonny Rollins in 1954. The title is Nigeria spelled backwards, inspired by a magazine photo of Nigerian dancers, and Rollins reportedly rewrote the tune in the studio. It was first recorded in 1954 by the Miles Davis Quintet and released on the 10-inch LP Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins; a later Miles Davis Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet session (1956) features another version. The tune is an up tempo minor bebop hard bop piece, typically in a 32-bar AABA form, and has become a staple of the jazz repertoire. Notable covers include Wes Montgomery on The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (1960), Grant Green on Nigeria (recorded 1962, released 1980), and a lyric version by Jon Hendricks performed by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross (1958) and the Manhattan Transfer (1985). It has also been recorded by many other great players such as Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Art Pepper, Maynard Ferguson, and Don Patterson.
