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Barney Kessel closes out the solos on electric guitar with half a chorus, following Wardell Gray at approximately 234 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 32-bar AABA form and the key of E♭, the solo navigates the chord changes with purpose. Built on the chord changes of "'S Wonderful," the harmonic foundation is a familiar one in the jazz repertoire, inviting inventive melodic departures. Coming last in the solo order, Kessel has the task of building on everything that came before while steering the performance back toward the closing head. The Gershwin changes provide a harmonically rich framework that differs from the more common rhythm changes and blues vehicles of the era, and each soloist navigates the progression with individual flair. Barney solos over the second half of a chorus.
Barney Kessel was 23 to 24 years old at the time.
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