Miles Davis
Trumpet Solo on
Chasin' the Bird

About

Miles Davis's trumpet solo is the 2nd of 3 on this recording, spanning half a 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. Built on the chord changes of "I Got Rhythm," the harmonic foundation is a familiar one in the jazz repertoire, inviting inventive melodic departures. Positioned between Charlie Parker and Bud Powell, Davis bridges the conversation between the two. 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. Miles plays over just the first half of a chorus.

Miles Davis was 20 to 21 years old at the time.