Similar to ii-V-I cadence, the back door progression consists of the chords IVm7

bVII7 I.
In C major, it spells out: Fm7 Bb7 Cmaj7. Like in the first fews bars of the Tad
Dameron tune Ladybird.
Some like to say its a minor-third-up type of chord substitution. Because Fm7 Bb7 is
a minor third higher than Dm7 G7 (all in C major). Personally, I just like to call it a
back door progression.This device is often used in standards progressions, jazz
compositions, in arranging, in comping, in improvisation, etc.
A common example of using the back door in improvisation is to purposely superimpose
the scales and arpeggios from the back door while the accompanying jazz chords are a
normal ii-V-I. On a ii-V-I in C use the scales from Fm7 Bb7, like this:
Superimposition of this kind is reminiscent of the minor ii-V sound as the Fm7 Bb7
comes from the key of Eb major. C minor is the relative minor of Eb major! So the
superimposed scales of Fm7 Bb7 create a C natural minor sound. Please note that you
can do the same while comping! (can you?)
But why name it the back door ? We call this progression a back door because it
resolves to the I by coming from the bVII which is a whole tone below. Its coming
from behind the tonic, hence the term back door.