Miyako is a jazz tune composed by Wayne Shorter, first recorded in 1967 and released on the Blue Note album Schizophrenia. The original recording features Shorter on tenor sax with Curtis Fuller, James Spaulding, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Joe Chambers. The piece is known for its adventurous harmony - it starts with a traditional ii-V motion from Em7/A to A7, but Shorter makes a left turn to C#m7/F# (heard as F# sus9) instead of resolving to D major. It sits in the jazz genre, often described as post-bop, and is celebrated for pushing improvisers to follow Shorter’s unexpected harmonic shifts. Miyako is part of Shorter’s 1967 Blue Note sessions and is frequently cited for its example of his innovative approach to harmony and improvisation.
