Frank Morgan
Alto Sax Solo on
Milt's Tune

About

Frank Morgan's two-chorus alto saxophone solo opens the improvisation on this brisk reading of Milt Jackson's rhythm changes contrafact. At 229 BPM over the 32-bar AABA form in B-flat, Morgan's bebop fluency is on full display as he navigates the familiar changes with inventive melodic ideas. As the first of five solos, his two choruses set the improvisational standard for the parade of soloists that follows. The tune is a contrafact based on the chord changes of "I Got Rhythm," one of bebop's foundational harmonic structures, and Morgan's command of this vocabulary is thoroughly convincing.

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