John Coltrane
Tenor Sax Solo on
Countdown

About

John Coltrane's tenor sax solo is the closing of 2 solos on this recording, following Art Taylor's drums. Spanning eight choruses of the 16-Bar form at a brisk 342 BPM with a swing feel in B♭, the solo runs approximately 1:31. The composition is a contrafact based on the chord changes of "Tune Up." Art Taylor opens with two choruses of drums that establish the breathless tempo before Coltrane enters with eight choruses of tenor saxophone that tear through the transformed harmonies with superhuman precision. John Coltrane was 32 to 33 years old at the time of this 1959 recording.

John Coltrane was 32 to 33 years old at the time.