About
Billy Higgins takes two choruses of drums on "The Deserving Many" at approximately 270 BPM, closing out the solo section with a display of rhythmic clarity at high speed. The veteran drummer, whose crisp, swinging style had been a cornerstone of jazz since his groundbreaking work on Ornette Coleman's debut recordings in the late 1950s, maintains the 32-bar AABA form with elegant precision. His solo is a masterclass in structural coherence during a drum feature, each phrase shaped with the melodic sensibility that distinguished Higgins from his contemporaries. Following Joshua Redman and Pat Metheny, the drum solo underscores the egalitarian spirit of this session, where each musician is given space to shine.
Billy Higgins was 56 to 57 years old at the time.
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