Sam Cooke

Trouble In Mind

Trouble In Mind is a transcription from Sam Cooke's RCA Victor 1961 album 'My Kind of Blues'. Sammy Lowe wrote the original arrangement and conducted the studio orchestra. The song itself dates from 1924 and quickly became a blues standard. It has been performed by many artists over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. This particular arrangement is built around a repeating 8 measure structure. After a quiet intro the vocal and rhythm take the first eight. Unison saxes lay behind the second eight, then Trombones join the backing for the third, followed by two ensemble eights. The intensity then drops back down and builds to a big finish. We have notated Sam Cooke's vocal part 'as sung' and the vocal key is G. There are no sax doubles. Sam Cooke's vocal range also makes this chart suitable for a female alto voice.