Charlie Parker
Alto Sax Solo on
Chasin' the Bird

About

Charlie Parker opens the solo section on alto sax, stretching out for one chorus at approximately 190 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 32-bar AABA form and the key of F, the solo navigates the chord changes with purpose. 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 Miles Davis. Performed by the Charlie Parker Quintet, the recording is notable for its contrapuntal melody, in which Parker's alto saxophone and Davis's trumpet weave independent but harmonically complementary lines, an unusual approach for a bebop head.

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