What Does Donna Lee Mean? - Institutionen för musikvetenskap ...

Conclusion
After consideration of a relatively large number of passages, it is fairly obvious how
Pastorius’ solo is, in a way, a classic jazz solo. This doesn’t contradict the usual consideration
of Pastorius as an innovator, though. Here lies what constitutes a very interesting paradox
around Pastorius’ Donna Lee: he innovates by playing a classical solo. It is not that he plays
any new scale, or any new combination of tones. What is revolutionary is that he plays in the
same way others had been playing for almost three decades but with an instrument that many
had judged sturdy and incapable of such virtuosity. It is the perfect example of building a
bridge between the past and the future, from tradition to innovation in one single step.
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