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Lou Donaldson opens the solo section on alto sax, stretching out for three choruses at approximately 220 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 32-bar ABAB' form and the key of E♭, the solo navigates the chord changes with purpose. As a contrafact on "There Will Never Be Another You," the underlying harmony is well-trodden territory, giving the soloist a sturdy platform for creative exploration. As the first voice heard after the head, Donaldson sets the improvisational tone before passing to Clifford Brown. "Split Kick" is a blazing opener from A Night at Birdland Vol. 1, the landmark 1954 live recording by the Art Blakey Quintet.
Lou Donaldson was 27 to 28 years old at the time.
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