Charlie Parker
Alto Sax Solo on
Bird's Nest

About

Charlie Parker opens the solo section on alto sax, stretching out for two choruses at approximately 291 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 32-bar AABA form and the key of B♭, the solo tests the player's command at high velocity. As a contrafact on "I Got Rhythm," the underlying harmony is well-trodden territory, giving the soloist a sturdy platform for creative exploration. As the first voice heard after the head, Parker sets the improvisational tone before passing to Erroll Garner. Parker's two-chorus alto saxophone solo launches directly into the performance without a composed theme, and Erroll Garner follows with two commanding choruses of piano that demonstrate his remarkable ability to maintain harmonic clarity and rhythmic drive at extreme tempos.

Charlie Parker was 26 to 27 years old at the time.