What do you like about Charlie Parker's playing?

[neatomic]

don't sweat it



cheers

[bobsguitars09]

If you are interested in someone else's insights on Parker by a player who has an excellent ear and deep knowledge of improvisation, Steve Coleman wrote a series of well known reviews of various Parker sides and focused particularly on the innovations and impact of drummers like Roach on Parker's music. This has been linked to multiple times in other threads, but if you can't find them here is the link: THE DOZENS: STEVE COLEMAN ON CHARLIE PARKER ? Jazz.com | Jazz Music? Jazz Artists? Jazz News

(I see there are some deleted posts, sorry if this already got covered and was removed)

Anyway a good jumping off point for your own listening.

Thank you!

[Binyomin]

Mozart with blue notes

[KirkP]

Not sure why a few people find questions they don't know the answers to "creepy" but okay

Hey Bob. I think you gave a short explanation why you tend to ask a lot of questions in another thread some time ago, and it's fine with me.

Asking questions without at least offering your own opinions on the matter is unusual, so a few folks might consider it "creepy" or "soft trolling" (I think I made up that term). Don't let that stop you from participating in the forum!

But I think people would be interested in your views whenever you feel like offering them.

[NoReply]

Hey Bob. I think you gave a short explanation why you tend to ask a lot of questions in another thread some time ago, and it's fine with me.

Asking questions without at least offering your own opinions on the matter is unusual, so a few folks might consider it "creepy" or "soft trolling" (I think I made up that term). Don't let that stop you from participating in the forum!

But I think people would be interested in your views whenever you feel like offering them.

Especially since you've been asking the same questions for year you should of formed some opinions and thoughts of your own from all this research. Otherwise it's like throwing a hand grenade then coming back for to check the body count.

[matt.guitarteacher]

Especially since you've been asking the same questions for year you should of formed some opinions and thoughts of your own from all this research. Otherwise it's like throwing a hand grenade then coming back for to check the body count.

I think Bob is for real.

By the way, you're severely limiting yourself by blocking all PMs. I've never had a problem with a private message here, but whatever.

[Drumbler]

Specifically

His ability to play really fast.

The athletic ability of his playing.

Musically, I don't really like his playing that much.

He's like a guitar shredder...interesting from a technique standpoint...but am I going to sit down and listen to him otherwise...no.

[Drumbler]

I think Bob is for real.

[matt.guitarteacher]

Dang, that caught me offguard. Too funny. If that's all the Internet I get for the day, I'm good. :-)

[princeplanet]

His ability play really fast.

The athletic ability of his playing.

Musically, I don't really like his playing that much.

He's like a guitar shredder...interesting from a technique standpoint...but am I going to sit down and listen to him otherwise...no.

Well, that can't go unanswered now can it? Although Parker is not even in my top 10 fave alto players, I'll just say that if you slow down Bird it sounds beautiful! You really hear the melodies. If you slow down a shredder, it's the most unmelodic thing you will hear. There were some sax players shortly after Bird that also were accused of "shredding", one was Johnny Griffin who copped a shelacking from the Jazz press. Pretty unfair, I think he's a wonderful player. Fast does not always equal shit, although most fast playing on any instrument is just noise....

[KirkP]

Especially since you've been asking the same questions for year you should of formed some opinions and thoughts of your own from all this research. Otherwise it's like throwing a hand grenade then coming back for to check the body count.

Please give Bob a break. If you don't like his questions you're free to ignore them.

[bobsguitars09]

Thanks guys

[paulkogut]

TruthHertz first post (since removed?) really got me thinking about (and listening to!) to Charlie Parker again. Although Bird is widely considered to be 'the' founder of bebop, in some ways he's not been as much of an influence as one might assume. There's a level of rhythmic freedom and surprise that seems to have been lost along the way, as the language got 'cleaned up' by players like Sonny Still and Red Garland.

PK

[KirkP]

At his best, Charlie Parker is telling a story. His solos are full of new ideas with no noodling. Every note is there for a reason. His solo in this track is phrased like two or three different people having a conversation. He was an innovator, mastering what came before him and building on it.
My Old Flame:

[Thumpalumpacus]

"Laura"?

Maybe I'm misremembering the title? I only knew it from a collection I owned about fifteen years ago, a minor-key ballad. I cannot find it on youtube, so I may be misfiring.

But his balladry speaks for itself, of course, and supports the point I was making.

[Thumpalumpacus]

What's creepy? Read #5, it just sounds like you are trying to collect data for unknown purpose.

'What do you like about Charlie Parker's playing' is not a question anybody wouldn't have an answer for. Everyone can elaborate on that if they heard the music, including you. I can go on and on what I personally like about CP, but who wants to know and why?

I like hearing an OP offer his opinion at some point. I get that you might not want to steer the conversation, and I get that you're answering a question that reads a touch aggressive.

But me, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion, too. I have the sneaking feeling I've got a lot to learn from everyone here, and that includes you.

[christianm77]

At his best, Charlie Parker is telling a story. His solos are full of new ideas with no noodling. Every note is there for a reason. His solo in this track is phrased like two or three different people having a conversation. He was an innovator, mastering what came before him and building on it.
My Old Flame:

My old flame is such a weird tune.

[matt.guitarteacher]

At his best, Charlie Parker is telling a story. His solos are full of new ideas with no noodling. Every note is there for a reason. His solo in this track is phrased like two or three different people having a conversation. He was an innovator, mastering what came before him and building on it.
My Old Flame:

Wow. Listen how far back he pushes the beginning of that first phrase of melody in the bridge. :-)

[Hep To The Jive]

I like hearing an OP offer his opinion at some point. I get that you might not want to steer the conversation, and I get that you're answering a question that reads a touch aggressive.

But me, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion, too. I have the sneaking feeling I've got a lot to learn from everyone here, and that includes you.

well, ok, thanks , haha! You seem to have a human touch that OP lacks, so why not

First, I lied about going on and on about CP, he's not my main hero, tbh, not as someone like Art Pepper, if we talk about sax players anyway...

What I like about his playing, I can be very specific:

*I transcribed two solos that I found brilliant, love every note, every phrase: Dizzy's Atmosphere, and Red Cross. It's killing solos, check it out! Both are build on rhythm changes, so those licks you can use in many situations.

* I really like two of his tunes, Yardbird Suite and My Little Suede Shoes. I think they are great tunes even beyond bebop, and beyond jazz!

That's from off the top of my head... Unfortunately, I was always struggling to embrace other stuff, like Donna Lee or Confirmation, that everybody else think is genius... But it's fine. I like to play them for warmup or exercise, for that they are perfect. All IMHO for sure.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I will definitely check those out, thanks for taking the time, bud. YS I've heard, of course, the first two I haven't. Thanks!

[Boston Joe]

I like the fluidity, and the relaxed feel. Even when he's playing super fast, it doesn't sound like he's pushing,

[joe2758]

Although Parker is not even in my top 10 fave alto players

impossible! I think you're playing "too cool for school."

[Dana]

For me, no matter how astonishing his technical ability was, there was deep feeling in his playing.

[KirkP]

He'd use all the tools in the musician's toolbox for expression and to hold the listener's interest - dynamics, phrasing, tone, rhythm, leave space, etc. That's much more appealing to me than listening to someone shred scales.

[matt.guitarteacher]

Offline have talked to others about your questions, are you using this forum as lab rats for a research paper or these your homework question from your school?

Like Hep' said what do you like what aspect of Birds playing, or what have you learned from listening to him?

For giggles I did an internet search on the bobsguitarsXX and what I found if same vague, odd, questions going back to at least 2010 on other music sites. Curious.

Frankly, I'm bothered that apparently NoReply and Bob are gone now. I'm especially bothered that Bob stopped posting soon after this, because he had been a member since 2008. That means he had been here as long as me or Reg.

For all the complaints about his unusual questions, the threads he started prompted some of the most robust discussions on this forum. They also, heavily engaged the forum's most respected and active long-time members as well.

I always view it as each individual's obligation or right not to reply to threads which DON'T interested them. Likewise, I don't believe it's the responsibility of members who have been on the forum for eight years to justify their behavior to "witchhunt" questions from members present a handful of months, especially when their questions are respectfully answered by other long-standing members who, themselves have a lot of credibility.

In another thread, Bob alluded to a life event which he suffered and which explained his unique communication style. I won't be more explicit than that, our of respect for him, but I don't think this forum is suffering from too MANY questions or too many robust discussions on playing versus gear.

I have reached out to Bob and would hope others might also.

Thanks.