Josh Mellicker
Electric Guitar Solo on
Donna Lee

About

Josh Mellicker's electric guitar solo is the second of three solos on this 2021 LA Jazz Connection performance of Miles Davis's "Donna Lee," a contrafact on the chord changes of "Indiana." Following Danny Janklow's alto saxophone, he takes five choruses of the 32-bar AB form at 244 BPM with a Latin feel in A-flat, building the most extended solo on the track. The demanding bebop harmony at this speed requires exceptional facility, and Mellicker's five-chorus exploration demonstrates his command of the guitar in this challenging context. He is followed by Anthony Fung on drums.

Josh Mellicker was 60 to 61 years old at the time.