Art Blakey
Drums Solo on
Split Kick

About

Art Blakey closes out the solos on drums with one chorus, following Horace Silver at approximately 237 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. Coming last in the solo order, Blakey has the task of building on everything that came before while steering the performance back toward the closing head. "Split Kick" is a blazing opener from A Night at Birdland Vol. 1, the landmark 1954 live recording by the Art Blakey Quintet.

Art Blakey was 34 to 35 years old at the time.