Constellation, recorded September 18, 1948, is a very fast rhythm changes performance by the Charlie Parker All Stars at approximately 328-334 BPM in C with a 32-bar AABA form based on I Got Rhythm. Parker's two-and-a-half-chorus alto saxophone solo is a tour de force of high-velocity improvisation, followed by Miles Davis for one chorus on trumpet and John Lewis for one chorus on piano. The extreme tempo places enormous demands on the soloists, and Parker meets the challenge with characteristic brilliance, generating a torrent of melodic ideas that maintain coherence despite the blistering pace. Davis, whose trumpet style favored a more measured approach, shows remarkable poise at this tempo. Lewis's piano chorus brings a somewhat cooler sensibility to the high-energy proceedings. Constellation is one of the fastest rhythm changes performances in Parker's catalogue and demonstrates the quintet's ability to swing with authority at the extreme upper limits of tempo. The key of C rather than the more common B-flat adds an additional element of difficulty.
