Paul Chambers
Acoustic Bass Solo on
Good Bait

About

Paul Chambers wraps up the solo sequence with two choruses on acoustic bass, the last of three improvisations. Taken at a medium swing tempo of 126 BPM over the 32-bar AABA in B♭, the improvisation unfolds with comfortable, easygoing swing. The tune is a contrafact based on the chord changes of "I Got Rhythm," a familiar harmonic foundation that invites inventive melodic exploration. Paul Chambers closes with two choruses of acoustic bass that showcase his extraordinary melodic conception, his solo demonstrating why he was considered the premier bassist in jazz during this period. Recorded for the album Soultrane in 1958, the performance captures Paul Chambers at 22 to 23 years old.

Paul Chambers was 22 to 23 years old at the time.