Curly Russell
Acoustic Bass Solo on
Quicksilver

About

Curly Russell's acoustic bass solo is the 4th of 5 on this recording, spanning half a chorus at approximately 317 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 64-bar AABA form and the key of A♭, the solo tests the player's command at high velocity. As a contrafact on "Lover, Come Back to Me," the underlying harmony is well-trodden territory, giving the soloist a sturdy platform for creative exploration. Positioned between Horace Silver and Art Blakey, Russell bridges the conversation between the two. This performance documents the Art Blakey Quintet operating at the outer edge of what was technically possible in jazz, achieving a level of collective virtuosity that remains awe-inspiring decades later.

Curly Russell was 36 to 37 years old at the time.