"Visitation" is a Paul Chambers original based on the chord changes of the standard "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm," recorded for his 1956 album Chambers' Music. The 32-bar AA' form provides a swinging framework for Chambers's four extended bass choruses, which constitute the track's sole improvised solo. This unaccompanied spotlight gives the bassist unprecedented space to develop his musical ideas, and he rewards the opportunity with some of his most inventive playing on record. His lines are melodically compelling and rhythmically varied, moving between walking bass patterns, horn-like melodic phrases, and passages of double-stopped chording that reveal the full range of his technique. Philly Joe Jones and Kenny Drew provide supportive accompaniment during the melody statements, but the solo sections belong entirely to Chambers, whose confidence as an improviser is fully on display. The practice of writing new melodies over existing chord progressions, known as contrafact composition, was a common practice in bebop, and Chambers's choice to create his own vehicle demonstrates his ambition to be recognized not just as a rhythm section player but as a complete musician. This track remains one of the most extended and revealing bass solos in the hard bop era.
