Alan Broadbent
Piano Solo on
Chelsea Bridge

About

The sole improvisation on this recording, this piano improvisation spans a half chorus of the 32-bar AABA form at a ballad tempo of 49 BPM. The extremely slow tempo demands extraordinary control and patience from the soloist, and Broadbent rises to the challenge with a performance of breathtaking beauty. The 32-bar AABA form, a staple of the Great American Songbook, offers both structural clarity and ample harmonic terrain for improvisation. The slow ballad tempo demands patience and control, with each note given space to resonate.

Alan Broadbent was 66 to 67 years old at the time.