Carl Perkins
Piano Solo on
My Old Flame

About

Carl Perkins's half-chorus piano solo opens the improvisation on this tender ballad reading of Arthur Johnston's torch song. Over the first half of the 32-bar AABA form at 62 BPM in F, Perkins establishes a contemplative mood with his distinctive harmonic approach and left-hand technique. As the first of two solos, his piano statement sets the stage for Frank Morgan's concluding alto saxophone entrance, the two soloists dividing the chorus between them in a format that emphasizes the intimate, chamber-like quality of the arrangement.

Carl Perkins was 26 to 27 years old at the time.