Walter Smith III
Tenor Sax Solo on
Contrafact

About

Opening the solo section, this tenor sax improvisation spans two choruses of the 32-bar ABAC form at an uptempo swing feel at 245 BPM. The 5/4 meter adds an additional layer of rhythmic complexity. The underlying chord progression is drawn from "Like Someone In Love," making this a contrafact—a new melody composed over borrowed changes. By naming the piece "Contrafact" and revealing its harmonic source, Smith invites the listener into the compositional process while delivering a performance of tremendous energy and creative vitality. Following this solo, Joshua Redman takes over on tenor sax.

Walter Smith III was 37 to 38 years old at the time.