Half Nelson, recorded August 14, 1947, is a Miles Davis composition based on the chord changes of Tadd Dameron's Lady Bird, performed by the Miles Davis All Stars at approximately 186-190 BPM in C with a compact 16-bar form. Parker plays tenor saxophone for two choruses, and Davis follows with two choruses on trumpet. Nelson Boyd contributes a one-chorus acoustic bass solo. The 16-bar form, half the length of a standard 32-bar structure, gives the tune a concise, concentrated quality that demands efficient melodic construction from the soloists. Parker's two choruses on tenor are typically inventive, adapting his alto-derived vocabulary to the different tonal characteristics of the bigger horn. Davis's two-chorus solo shows his lyrical side within the challenging harmonic framework of Dameron's changes. The tune's title, playing on the name of bassist Nelson Boyd, reflects the collegial humor that characterized these sessions. Half Nelson would later become a jazz standard in its own right, though it is less frequently performed than its harmonic source, Lady Bird.
