Bolivia is a jazz standard written by American pianist Cedar Walton. It was first recorded in 1976 on the Eastern Rebellion self titled album, with Walton on piano, George Coleman on tenor sax, Sam Jones on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The tune is in G major and is typically played in an Afro Cuban style, built around a repeating bass ostinato through the first 16 bars based on a G7(13) harmony. The B section introduces a different set of changes, after which the bass line returns and the form repeats. Bolivia is widely regarded as Walton’s best known composition and has been recorded by artists including Sam Jones, Doug Raney, Freddie Hubbard, Cody Moffett, John Carlini and Sean Dobbins with the Modern Jazz Messengers. It remains a staple in the modern jazz repertoire.
