Nora Germain
Violin Solo on
A Kiss to Build a Dream On

About

Nora Germain's violin solo is the sole improvisation on this relaxed swing rendition of the Kalmar-Ruby standard. Spanning one chorus of the 32-bar AABA form at 83 BPM in the key of C, Germain takes a patient, lyrical approach that allows each phrase to breathe. Her warm tone and expressive vibrato channel the romantic quality of the melody, and the comfortable tempo gives her space to balance melodic paraphrase with spontaneous invention. Coming well into the track at the 1:31 mark, the solo follows the head arrangement and serves as the performance's central improvisational statement, demonstrating the more intimate, ballad-oriented side of Germain's artistry on an album that also features high-velocity bebop workouts.

Nora Germain was 32 to 33 years old at the time.