Frank Morgan
Alto Sax Solo on
The Nearness Of You

About

Frank Morgan's brief alto saxophone solo is the second and final solo on this intimate ballad performance. Morgan takes the bridge before coming back in with the melody for the last A. His singing tone and delicate phrasing over this short passage reveal his deep sensitivity as a ballad player, with every note magnified by the deliberate 60 BPM tempo. The concise format serves the song's late-night intimacy, contrasting sharply with the uptempo bebop workouts found elsewhere on the album.

Frank Morgan was 21 to 22 years old at the time.