Charlie Parker
Alto Sax Solo on
Constellation

About

Charlie Parker opens the solo section on alto sax, stretching out for two and a half choruses at approximately 334 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 32-bar AABA form and the key of C, the solo tests the player's command at high velocity. 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. The extreme tempo places enormous demands on the soloists, and Parker meets the challenge with characteristic brilliance, generating a torrent of melodic ideas that maintain coherence despite the blistering pace. Oddly, Bird kicks off with the first solo on the bridge the first time through the melody and then continues for another 2 complete choruses.

Charlie Parker was 27 to 28 years old at the time.