Weekend Song – Charlie Parker

We’re swinging up to two years of the Weekend Song and we’ve barely scratched the iceberg because there hasn’t been anything from this man yet.

I have played alto since I was eight and this man not only defined the instrument then, when he had been dead a quarter of a century, but a quarter of a century later he still owns that shit.

Owns it.

His catalogue is like a bible for jazz musicians, so much so that when musicians are playing really well, they have to wonder if they sound a bit too much like Bird.

I remember once when I was a kid at Ronnie Scott’s (I was a member at 13) I was sitting at a table just off the side of the stage and a drummer was taking apart his kit between sets. Now’s The Time was playing quietly over the PA and the drummer was doing two things second to his nature. While he took apart the cymbals, he was softly singing Parker’s solo to himself note for note. And so was I, in my head, and I bet so was half the place.

I used to practice and study his solos like thousands of other aspiring players, but even then I knew when I’d reached too high. Poet Adrian Mitchell put it best: “He breathed in air. He breathed out light. Charlie Parker was my delight.”

And although now is the time, you can get that song another day, because that’s not why we’re doing this. Not exactly. Although now is the time. You’ll get it.

Listen – Charlie Parker