Charlie Parker
Alto Sax Solo on
Parker's Mood

About

Charlie Parker closes out the solos on alto sax with one chorus, following John Lewis at approximately 73 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 12-bar Blues form and the key of B♭, the solo allows for nuanced, expressive phrasing. Coming last in the solo order, Parker has the task of building on everything that came before while steering the performance back toward the closing head. Every note seems inevitable yet surprising, with Parker constructing a narrative of extraordinary emotional depth and structural coherence. Bird solos for a 2nd time as the band goes into double time.

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