Wynton Kelly
Piano Solo on
Old Folks

About

Closing out the solo section, this piano improvisation spans a half chorus of the 32-bar AABA form at a ballad tempo of 53 BPM. Kelly follows with a quarter-chorus of delicate, impressionistic piano playing that complements the song's nostalgic mood. This is the most concise solo on the recording, making every phrase count within a compact space. The 32-bar AABA form, a staple of the Great American Songbook, offers both structural clarity and ample harmonic terrain for improvisation. Coming after Hank Mobley's tenor sax solo, this is the final improvisation before the ensemble returns to the head.

Wynton Kelly was 29 to 30 years old at the time.