“Learn the changes and then forget them.”
So. Here we are with another line from a legendary jazz
master. The changes Mr. Parker
refers to are of course the chord changes in a song. And the essence of what he implies with this sentiment is to
embrace the freedom of improvisation.
Improvising was at the very heart of the bebop era, of which Charlie
Parker was boisterously at the forefront.
Surely it is necessary to gain knowledge in order to perform any
task. But attempt it less
regimented, you may be surprised with the result in a pleasing way. That is the beauty of improvising.
Charlie Parker (1920-1955) was a jazz saxophonist prominent during
the bebop era of jazz music. In
his time he was heralded as the greatest saxophone player living and to this
day is still considered one of the best.
Parker is well known for being a charismatic bandleader and quite the
wild man. He died at the young age of 34 as result of pneumonia, a bleeding ulcer, and cirrhosis of the liver all brought on by his unrelenting abuse of alcohol and narcotics. Despite his unfortunate end, Parker's virtuosic skills remain as jazz legend and he is remembered as a figurehead of the Beat Generation and hipster culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment