Charlie Parker Interview

music because there's many good people playing in that record but the style of the alto is so so different from anything else that's on the record or that went before did you realise at that time what effect you were going to have and jazz and you're gonna change the entire scene in the next 10 years no I had no idea that it was that much different well I like that sticking a question if I may I'd like to know why there was this violent change really after all up until this time the way to play the alto sax was the way that Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter played alto and this seems to be an entirely different conception not just of how to play that particular horn but music in general yeah how to play anyone and then I don't think there's any Institute's exact way you econ John yeah that's what I said when I first started talking that's my first conception man that's the way I thought it should go and I still do I mean wanted stand much improvement most likely in another 25 maybe 50 years some young still come along and take the style and really do something with it you know but I mean ever since I've ever heard music I thought it should be very clean very precise the clean as possible anyway you know and more less to the people you know something that could understand something that was beautiful you know it's definitely their stories and stories and stories that can be told in a musical idiom you know I didn't wouldn't say it is so hard to describe music other than the basic way to describe it music is basically melody harmony and rhythm but I mean people can do much more with music than that it can be very descriptive in all kinds of ways you know all walks of life don't you agree Paul yeah and you always still have a story to tell it's still one of the most impressive things about everything I've ever heard of yours let's boil at the object that's what I thought it should be another thing that it's been a a major factor in your playing is this fantastic technique that nobody's equals I always wondered about that to whether there was whether that came behind practicing or whether that was just from from playing whether it evolved gradually well you make it so hard for me to answer you know because then I can't see where there's anything fantastic about it at all I put quite a bit of study into the hole and that's true in fact the neighbors threatened to ask my mother to move she said I was bad I'm crazy with the horn I used to put in at least 11 from 11 to 15 hours a day yes that's what I wondered well that's true yes I did that for a period of three or four years oh yeah because that's the answer yeah that's the banks anyway I heard a record of yours a couple of months ago that summer I've missed up to date and I heard a little to bar quote from the close a book that was like an echo from home oh dude dude it did it did yeah yeah well I was all done with the books you know naturally wasn't done with mirrors this time he was done with books not that's that's true a very reassuring to hear because somehow I I got the idea that she was just sort of born with that technique and you never had to worry too much about about keeping it working you know I'm pretty glad that he's bringing out this point because I think a lot of young musicians tend to think that yeah they do they just go out necessary to do this thought and make those sessions and live the life but they don't put in that 11 hours a day with any of the book called down a new study is absolutely necessary in all forms it's just like any talent that's born within somebody suspect of good pair shoes when you put a shine on it you know like the schooling this brings out the Polish you know of any talent it's happens anywhere in the world Einstein had schooling but he has a definite genius you know with energy with him selling screws one of the most wonderful things there's ever been you know I'm glad to hear you say this absolutely ready yeah well what are the record yeah which one should we take this time want to skip a little while and we have Charlie picked out night and day okay that's one of his records is this what this is with a band or with strings no this is just with the large bands and I think this is about 19 pieces on this why don't we listen to it then and talk about it elves Charlie the springs is kind of up to where you and is started joining forces and the next record we have coming up why did you first meet Dizzy Gillespie well the first time I officially meeting I might say was on the bandstand of Savoy Ballroom in New York City in 1939 Schanz bands first came to New York I've been to New York previously but I wasn't back west and rejoined the band came back to New York with these he came by one night I think at the time he's working with Cab Calloway his band and we sat in in the band I was quite fascinated with the fellow and we became very good friends and until this day we are you know hmm but that was the first time I ever had the pleasure to meet Dizzy Gillespie was he playing the same way then before he played with you I don't remember precisely I just know that he was playing them Oh what you might call in the funicular the streets of buku horn you know oh yeah okay no just like all of their horn packed up and watch you know and we used to go around different places and jam together we had quite a bit of fun in those days and shortly after Mike and man went west again I went out with him I came back to New York again I found dizzy again in the real hands organization in 1941 and I joined the band with him it was in New York my state we both stayed on the band about a year it was Earl Hines Dizzy Gillespie Selborne Billy Eckstine Rockman mmm Thomas Trump or shadow Wilson quite a few names that you'd recognize in the music world 8 you know hold on that ban it's quite a collection and then that band broke up in 41 and 42 days he was in New York he formed his own little combination and three deuces New York City and I joined this band that that's when these records you about to play now we made these in 42 in New York yeah that's the first time I heard that group was you came out to Billy Berg's oh yes but that was 45 I almost made it we'll get to that okay I'm just illustrating how far I was behind all this oh don't be that me get modest to get you nowhere and yep oh yeah there's been this banking 42:1 yeah okay this is a grooving hi with dizzy and John some others yeah I guess uh slam Stewart Remo Palm Treo I guess yes you know I think there was glad heart yes I said and big city big d said Cabot Oh deceased now you said at that time New York was jumping in 42 yeah in New York was well those were the what you might call the good old days you know oh yeah yeah you tell me fine well descriptively this like I was going to say gay youth lack of funds wishing that grandfather Parker talking here there was nothing to do but play you know and we had a lot of fun try and play you know I did hmm plenty of jam sessions meant much late hours plenty good food nice clean living you know but basically speaking much poverty yeah that's always good to have no worries it has this place definitely in life would you like that sort of situation to have continued indefinitely well whether I liked it or not it really did Paul I'm glad it finally blew over it all the sort and I do mean oversaw it yeah yeah I enjoy this a little much much more in fact and have the pleasure to work with the same guy so we saw it not Metin I've met other young fellows you know they come along I enjoy working with them when I had the pleasure dude if I might say you yourself all contacts just yeah it lots of fun working with you man surprises no it David they brew back baby blue bag hmm a lot of times I come along well since that particular that I mean it makes you feel everything you did wonderful not you know that you really tried to prove something well man you really proven love I think you did more than anybody in the last 10 years to leave a decisive mark and math history of jazz well not yet Paul but I intend to I'd like to study some more I'm not quite through yet not quite I don't see the myself too old to learn no I know many people are watching you at the moment what's the greatest of interest to see what you're gonna come up with next in the next few years myself among the front row of them and or what have you got in mind are you gonna be done well seriously speaking I mean I'm gonna try to really do a steady eye and upend you to meet one and in the city these defensive people in Europe it's defensemen been as felon and he wants to teach me the fact he wants to write thankfully there's some things on me for you no more that's on a serious basis you know mm-hmm and if he takes me over I mean after he finishes with me I might have a chance to go to Academy the musical' in Paradis himself and study you know and well the president the prime my prime answer still is learning to play music you know which way just by playing or composition or ever I would study booth I never want to lose my horn yeah yeah you never never nunca 1000 or kind of getting ahead of the record and a sequence here but it's been most fascinating you want to say something about Miles Davis yeah well of the yamen miles in 1944 the bx died on his own organization because he was on that band also lucky Thompson yeah it was Art Blakey oh yeah Tommy Potter a lot of the fellas last and leash yours truly and - he'll get you nowhere Charlie I had the pleasure to meet miles for the first time in st. Louis when he was a youngster he was still going to school later on he came to New York finished Julliard miles did he graduated from Juilliard and at the time I was just beginning to get my band together you know five pieces here in five pieces there so I formed a band and took it into the three deuces for maybe seven eight weeks and at the time do the after the next an organization broke up as it was about to form his own band there were so many things taking place then I mean it's hard to describe describe it because it happened in a matter of months nevertheless I went to California in 1945 was busy I broke up my band the first band I had when I came back again into New York and 47 there's a part of 47 and that's when I decided to have a band of my own permanently miles was in my original band I had miles I had max I had Tommy Potter and al hate in my bed hmm another band I had I had Stanley V and clothes rustle I had miles in George Washington yeah but I think you have a record out there that one of the records we made with the max and miles I think yours truly huh Tommy Duke Jordan what do you I think it's perhaps is it outside well this became along the years of say 47 46 47 these particular sides were made in New York City WWE 1440 Broadway and this is the beginning of my careers are banded okay left let's listen to perhaps

Channel: Tim Green

Views: 223,305

Rating: 4.9574628 out of 5

Keywords: Charlie Parker, Paul Desmond, Bebop Jazz Interview, Dizzy, John Coltrane, Jazz

Id: T3W8Ff_4oFg

Length: 13min 27sec (807 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 26 2010