Charlie Parker
Alto Sax Solo on
The Hymn

About

Charlie Parker opens the solo section on alto sax, stretching out for four choruses at approximately 322 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 12-bar Blues form and the key of B♭, the solo tests the player's command at high velocity. As the first voice heard after the head, Parker sets the improvisational tone before passing to Miles Davis. Parker's four-chorus solo is a sustained burst of creative energy, with ideas flowing ceaselessly over the simple blues structure. At this breakneck pace, the soloist must balance technical dexterity with coherent musical ideas.

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