Paul Chambers
Acoustic Bass Solo on
Time Was

About

Paul Chambers wraps up the solo sequence with two choruses on acoustic bass, the last of three improvisations. Taken at an up-tempo swing tempo of 182 BPM over the 32-bar AABA in A♭, the improvisation flows with assured, relaxed momentum. Paul Chambers rounds out the solo sequence with two walking bass choruses that demonstrate his remarkable facility and clear intonation on the instrument. Recorded for the album Coltrane in 1957, the performance captures Paul Chambers at 21 to 22 years old. "Time Was" is the English-language adaptation of the Mexican bolero "Duerme," composed by Gabriel Luna de la Fuente and Miguel Prado.

Paul Chambers was 21 to 22 years old at the time.