About
Charlie Parker opens the solo section on alto sax, stretching out for two choruses at approximately 228 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 12-bar Blues form and the key of E♭, the solo navigates the chord changes with purpose. As the first voice heard after the head, Parker sets the improvisational tone before passing to Howard McGhee. Parker's two-chorus opening statement is characteristically inventive, establishing a high standard that the subsequent soloists rise to meet. The up-tempo pulse drives the improvisation forward with momentum. The up-tempo blues format provides a common language that allows each soloist to display their individual approach to the form.
Charlie Parker was 26 to 27 years old at the time.
Comments
What do you think of this solo?