Lucky Thompson
Tenor Sax Solo on
Diggin' Diz

About

Lucky Thompson's tenor saxophone solo is the fourth of six improvisations on this recording, following Gillespie's trumpet. Taking one chorus of the 16-bar form in C at 201 BPM, Thompson brings his warm, full-bodied tenor saxophone sound to the contrafact based on the chord changes of "Lover." His one-chorus statement provides a different tonal color in the parade of soloists, his style bridging the swing and bebop eras with fluency and melodic assurance.

Lucky Thompson was 21 to 22 years old at the time.