Kevin McClellan
Acoustic Bass Solo on
St. Louis Blues

About

Closing out the solo section, this acoustic bass improvisation spans five choruses of the 16-bar form at a medium-up 167 BPM. McClellan's acoustic bass solo showcases the instrument's melodic potential, moving beyond the walking-bass role into lyrical improvisation. The composition by W. C. Handy provides a rich harmonic canvas that rewards the soloist's exploration of its melodic and harmonic possibilities. Coming after Jun Iida's trumpet solo, this is the final improvisation before the ensemble returns to the head.

Kevin McClellan was 27 to 28 years old at the time.