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Alexa Tarantino delivers a commanding ten-chorus alto saxophone solo on Charlie Parker's "Chi Chi," one of the most extended improvisations of this Live From Emmet's Place session. At approximately 212 BPM over the 12-bar blues in A-flat, her playing combines the rhythmic intensity and harmonic sophistication required by Parker's musical legacy, each chorus building on the last to create a compelling extended narrative. As the first of four soloists in what becomes the evening's most substantial blowing vehicle, Tarantino's ten choruses set a high bar that the subsequent soloists match in both length and intensity. Her command of the bebop vocabulary is evident throughout, tempered by a personal voice that distinguishes her playing from mere imitation.
Alexa Tarantino was 28 to 29 years old at the time.
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