Charlie Parker
Alto Sax Solo on
Bebop

About

Charlie Parker opens the solo section on alto sax, stretching out for one chorus at approximately 316 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 32-bar AABA form and the key of F, the solo tests the player's command at high velocity. As the first voice heard after the head, Parker sets the improvisational tone before passing to Jimmy Bunn. This recording comes from the same troubled July 1946 session that produced the controversial Lover Man, yet Parker's playing here shows no obvious signs of compromise, demonstrating the extraordinary level of his musicianship even under difficult circumstances.

Charlie Parker was 25 to 26 years old at the time.