John Lewis
Piano Solo on
Steeplechase

About

John Lewis closes out the solos on piano with half a chorus, following Miles Davis at approximately 175 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. The tune borrows its harmonic structure from "I Got Rhythm," a set of changes that generations of improvisers have used as a testing ground for new ideas. Coming last in the solo order, Lewis has the task of building on everything that came before while steering the performance back toward the closing head. The medium-up tempo is more relaxed than many of Parker's rhythm changes recordings, allowing for a more lyrical approach to the familiar changes.

John Lewis was 27 to 28 years old at the time.