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Charlie Parker opens the solo section on alto sax, stretching out for one chorus at approximately 258 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 32-bar AABA form and the key of B♭, 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 J. J. Johnson. The three-horn front line of Parker, Johnson, and Davis navigating these changes at this tempo is a formidable display of collective mastery.
Charlie Parker was 26 to 27 years old at the time.
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