- Solar is a jazz composition originally written by Chuck Wayne in 1946, initially titled Sonny after trumpeter Sonny Berman.
- Miles Davis later recorded and copyrighted the tune, changing the opening chord from major to minor.
- The first released recording appeared on the 1954 album Miles Davis Quintet, and it also appeared on Walkin' the same year; it is often said to be the only time Davis recorded Solar.
- The piece is considered a modern jazz standard and is popular with educators for its rich yet succinct blues-based structure.
- The tune is commonly described as a 12-bar blues with modulations, making improvisation interesting as it moves through C minor, F major, Eb major and Db major before returning to C minor.
- The best known version is Bill Evans Trio's Sunday at the Village Vanguard (1961).
- Authorship has been debated: Solar was copyrighted in 1963 under Miles Davis's name, but evidence suggests Chuck Wayne wrote the melody as Sonny; a Library of Congress find in 2012 revealed Wayne’s 1946 recording of the tune, supporting his authorship.
- A memorable fact: the first two measures of Solar are inscribed on Miles Davis's tombstone.
