Charlie Parker, arguably the greatest improviser in modern jazz, was born 94 years ago. For a definitive sample of his fleet, subtle alto sax style, all you need to do is listen to the first 36 seconds of his version of Just Friends, which Parker recorded as part of his album, Charlie Parker with Strings, on the Clef label on November 30, 1949. I suggest you listen to the whole tune, of course. But those first four bars of Parker abstracting, inverting, reinventing, rhapsodizing the melody and then gently settling on the melody are dazzling.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 17:24:21 +0000
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